Discover Your Destiny with The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 7 Stages of Self-Awakening. Robin Sharma
Читать онлайн книгу.There will be a quantum leap in the numbers of people who will be on the path to authenticity—a path that involves living life on your own terms, according to your deepest values and highest ideals. It’s a path that involves living with a wide open heart and a well-developed mind. It’s a path that’s all about confronting your fears and the things that keep you small so you can let your bigness shine. It’s beautiful, baby!” the stranger said with a wink.
“There will be a quantum leap in the numbers of people who will be willing to heal their shadow sides and never do anything to hurt or limit another person. There will be a quantum leap in the numbers of people who will refuse to live a life that is less than noble, good and fearless. There will be a quantum leap in the numbers of people who will assume genuine leadership over their lives. There will be a quantum leap in the number of people who will become seekers, just like you, Dar, searching for happiness, inner peace and a life of deep meaning. There is a huge evolutionary shift occurring for humankind. The whole species is changing. We are refusing to accept anything less than personal greatness,” he added enthusiastically.
“What do you mean by an ‘evolutionary shift’?”
“Thanks for asking. There are no silly questions in this important conversation, you know. Most of our evolution, as human beings, to date has been marked by a focus on the physical, on the external. It has, until now, all been about accumulation and hoarding. The dominant value has been ‘he who has the most wins’—he who has the most fame, he who has the biggest fortune, he who wields the most power over others. And given this value, ‘survival of the fittest’ has become the name of the game. It’s all about competition because we have come to believe that there is not enough for everyone to win. But this philosophy no longer serves us as a race. It is one born of scarcity. And behind this thought of scarcity is outright fear. Since our intentions and what we think create what we see in our outer world, all we see is lack—there’s never enough for us. And so the cycle begins, we never feel as if we have enough and we are never happy.”
“Fascinating. I’ve never heard anything like this,” I remarked, sitting down on a chair in the dressing room. The stranger remained standing with his hands folded behind him.
“Now here’s what I mean by the ‘evolutionary shift’: many human beings on the planet are taking their focus away from the single-minded concern over the physical and paying far more attention to the spiritual. We are moving from independence, where it’s all about ‘me, me, me’ to an appreciation for the paramount importance of ‘interdependence.’ Many of us have become conscious of the fact that we are all part of the same family. The most evolved among us in the world today, the authentic leaders—and by leaders I do not necessarily mean CEOs, presidents and military generals, but all women and men who have refused to follow the crowd—have realized that, at the deepest level, we are all connected. They know that when you hurt another, you are really hurting yourself. They know that when you help another, you are really helping yourself. Even frontier science is now showing this, confirming empirically what the mystics have been saying for thousands of years. Quantum physicists have discovered that the universe is a stunningly interconnected system where everything is in relationship with—and affected by—everything else. The English poet John Donne was speaking truth when he wrote: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main… any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
“This is very interesting,” I replied, truly engaged in this new information I was hearing.
“So many of us have shifted our focus from a quest for the external to a voyage into the internal. For many, the human journey has become an inner journey. We have realized that the gateway to lasting success does not swing outward, it opens inward. The greatest treasures are the treasures that lie within. We, as a species, are now beginning to think far more about the needs of our souls and devoting more time to activities like personal growth, being more loving and compassionate and leaving a legacy. Success is important but significance is even better. Just look at the books on the bestseller lists around the world—so many of them are about the quest for self-knowledge and personal freedom. People all over the planet, in masses, are asking the big questions of life, such as ‘why am I here?’ and ‘what is my destiny?’ And, as I say, the more people change, the more the whole world will change. It’s a very beautiful process that’s taking place. And it really is an exquisite time to be alive.”
“That’s very inspiring,” I noted, relaxing even more and fully absorbing what I was hearing. I unfolded my arms.
“Now don’t get me wrong,” said the monk. “There’s nothing wrong with making money, having nice things and living a physically beautiful life. We are spiritual beings having a human experience and life can be made better through enjoying the wonderful things human beings have created. Money makes life easier and affords a great deal of freedom. Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably suffering from the Ostrich Syndrome.”
“What’s that?”
“Too many people avoid dealing with the truth. It’s easier to stick your head in the sand like an ostrich than confront your resistances to the truth. And the truth of the matter is that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with making money and having beautiful things. Who came up with the silly notion that you cannot have nice things and, at the same time, be spiritual, good and evolved anyway? Have a lovely home. Drive a fine car. Travel to exotic places. Wear beautiful clothes. I’m not suggesting that you do not experience and enjoy such worldly pleasures. Ultimately, these were created by the same hidden force that created the streams, the mountains and the trees. But remember that beauty is only skin deep. These things must not be your driving force. Do not base your identity and your self-worth on them. Know that they will not last. It’s more a matter of priorities—do not make the accumulation of such external things your primary priority. We come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing. I’ve never seen a U-haul following a hearse on the way to a cemetery. That’s the key thing to remember. Have your beautiful things but do not be imprisoned by them. Own them but do not let them own you. Give the main aim of your life over to far more important pursuits such as discovery of your highest potential, giving of yourself to others and making a difference by living for something more important than yourself. Success is fine but significance is the real name of the game,” he re-emphasized.
All of this man’s wisdom was exactly what I needed to hear at this juncture of my life. Perhaps I really was the student and perhaps I had finally arrived at a place where I was ready to learn, and now the teacher appeared. Maybe nothing I had experienced in my life up to this point was a waste. Maybe it was all meant to be—all preparation to get me to this point of readiness. Evan, my human resources manager—a very spiritual man—frequently used the phrase “all is well in the universe” whenever something did not go as planned. No matter what unfolded for him at work and in life he’d say that it was “all good,” even when it was painful. I was getting the sense that he was speaking truthfully. Perhaps there really were no accidents and the intricacies of our lives all happened according to a subtle yet perfect intelligence that, try as we might, we could not understand.
“I hope you don’t mind my asking, but who are you?” I asked, mustering up my courage and hoping not to offend, in any way, this peculiar yet unforgettable man who was sharing his profound wisdom with me.
“My name is Julian Mantle and I have come to serve as your guide. I’m here to help you discover your destiny,” came the simple reply.
He then reached into a wide silk pocket that had been sewn into his robe and pulled out a banana. Can you believe that? A banana! He peeled it and began munching away on it contentedly.
“Want one?” he asked graciously. “I have another in my knapsack,” he said, pointing to a tattered canvas bag in the corner. “Bananas are excellent fuel for the body. The body must be nourished with only the best foods if you want it to perform at its highest level.”
I hardly heard what he said—my mind started racing. Julian Mantle! Unbelievable! I knew who Julian