By Vijitha Yapa

When hope is hard to find, represent possibility.

When people are scared, stand for strength.

When communities are divided, be a unifier.

When superficiality is winning, go deep.

When mediocrity is common, create masterwork.

When giving up is normal, persist.

When civility is unusual, be respectful.

When entitlement is dominant, be selfless.

When rudeness is ubiquitous, be kind.

This is Robin Sharma’s message on the 25th anniversary of his remarkable book titled The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. It narrates an extraordinary story about living your dreams – and 25 years on, it’s still on the bestseller list.

Though the author was working as a litigation lawyer at the time he wrote this book, he penned a globally beloved classic in the personal development genre. It was self-published and the first copies came out in an all-night coffee shop.

Sharma says that though our world is becoming increasingly complex, volatile and fragile – and is populated with increasing numbers of people who are dedicated to showing greater heroism, decency and humility.

The book begins with a highly successful lawyer collapsing in the middle of a packed courtroom.

Julian Mantle was one of America’s most distinguished lawyers and well known for many legal victories. As usual, he was wearing a US$ 3,000 Italian suit but within seconds of falling, Mantle was squirming on the floor like a child.

An associate of his is narrating the book, and says that he soon learnt how to raise reasonable doubt where none existed. He also learnt lessons in the psychology of winning.

There was a framed quotation sitting on the massive oak desk in Mantle’s office with Sir Winston Churchill’s words echoed on it: “Sure I am that this day we are masters of our fate; that the task which has been set before us is not above our strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us.”

Nothing was known about what happened to Mantle after he collapsed in court until a familiar voice was heard some years later. He was unrecognisable – because he seemed to have reversed the ageing process and looked much younger.

The successful lawyer who owned a fabulous house and private jet, and enjoyed himself with his seven figure salary and friends, was a different man following his heart attack.

Apparently, Mantle had sold his assets including his red Ferrari, and relocated to India and Nepal to satisfy his spiritual needs. In a remote part of the Himalayas, he encountered some yogis and his association with them transformed Mantle’s life.

This new life had changed him. Material processions and fame no longer mattered. His former fast-paced life during which he traded his health for the fleeting rewards of the law practice, and swapped the riches of his soul for a fat bank account and temporary gratification, did not satisfy him anymore.

The discipline of the yogis – the Great Sages of the Sivana – and what he learnt from their simple lives changed everything.

Their only demand for teaching him timeless truths, ancient principles and strategies that have been passed down through the ages from their ancestors was that he must return to the West, share this wisdom, and give people the hope they deserve and tools to fulfil their dreams.

Steven Covey’s ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ was published in 1989. And Robin Sharma’s book The Man Who Sold His Ferrari was first published in 1997. Interestingly in both cases, the figure ‘7’ was important.

In Sharma’s book, the seven timeless virtues of enlightened living are as follows: mastering one’s mind, following one’s purpose, practising kaizen, living with discipline, respecting one’s time, serving others selflessly and embracing the present.

Covey speaks about proactively taking responsibility for one’s reactions to one’s own experiences, envisioning what one wants in the future through an achievable personal mission statement for a win-win solution, using empathetic listening to genuinely understand a person, combining the strengths of people through positive teamwork to achieve goals that no one can achieve alone and to sharpen the saw.

He explains that one should balance and renew one’s resources, energy and health, to create a sustainable long-term and effective lifestyle.

Both writers have something special to convey and one practical step is to search for the positive in all situations. As Carl Jung said, “your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”