I want everyone to ask yourself “Are you a prisoner of your past or an architect of your future?”The Monk Who His Ferrari is a wonderful book that I recommend everyone read. It is an inspiring tale that provides an approach to living with courage, joy and balance. This book tells the extraordinary tale of a very successful trial lawyer, Julian Mantle, who has everything he wants in life, Cars, Houses, Money, and Fame. However, he is unhappy. The pressure of his job, high profile lifestyle, and his bad habits are causing him to become ill. He is forced to confront his obesity, drinking, divorce, and out-of-balance lifestyle, due to a heart attack. Julian leaves his successful law firm and begins his life-changing Himalayan journey. His lengthy journey led him to seek a spiritual path in the Himalayan Mountains with a group on monks. After years of wise and practical lessons, he drastically changed his life. At the end of the story, he returns to the law firm, not to practice law but to tell his story and dedicate the rest of his life to passing along the gifts he received.

What has this book taught me? In my view, the book guides us to live a full and flourishing life.

A quote from the book. “Time slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return again. Those who use time wisely are rewarded with rich, productive and satisfying lives.” This book taught me that the secret of happiness is quite simple: find out what you truly love to do and then direct all of your energy towards doing it. Once you do this, abundance flows into your life and all those things you have been working toward get a lot closer.

“Time is our most precious commodity.” It is truly the ultimate nonrenewable resource. You have all heard the term “live every day as if it was your last”. Although it is very widely used, I want everyone to try to imagine waking up every day and asking yourself just one simple question: “What would I do today if it was my last?” Please do not go and empty your bank account, eat an entire ice-cream cake, or jump out of an airplane. Just think about how you would treat your family, your colleagues and even people you do not know, if today was your last. Would that jerk that never uses his turn signal matter? Would all those leaves in your gutters still bother you?

“Follow your purpose.” Set clearly defined personal and professional goals, and then have the courage to act on them. We all have something that we are meant to do. With enough effort, your genius will shine through. Once you are connected to your mission, whether it is being a great teacher, a salesperson, or an artist, happiness will shine through. Simply follow the path of your dreams, in full expectation that they will come true. Before you know it, they will.

“The universe favors the brave. When you resolve to lift your life to its highest level, the strength of your soul will guide you to a place with magnificent treasures. The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Be sure you are an architect of your future.”

www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-allen-anderson