I recently read this book “The Pillars of Self Mastery” from Robin S Sharma. I really liked the book and so thought I will share the complete essence of this book with you all here. This is the second book of Robin S Sharma, which I am reading. The first one being “The Monk who sold his Ferrari”.

The important points from the book “The Pillars of Self Mastery” are:-

• Sleep less: This is one of the best investments you can make to make your life more productive and rewarding.

• Set aside one hour every morning for personal development matter. Meditate; visualize your day, read inspirational texts to set the tone of your day, listen to motivational tapes or read great literature. Starting the day off well is a powerful strategy for self renewal.

• Laugh for five minutes in the mirrors each morning. Laughter activates many beneficial chemicals within the body that place us into a very joyous state. Laughter also returns the body to a state of balance. A 4 year old laughs 500 times a day while the average adult is lucky to laugh 15 times a day.

• Set aside every Sunday evening for yourself and your family and be strongly disciplined with this habit.

• To enhance your concentration and power of focus, count your steps when you walk. This is a particularly strong technique. So many people allow their minds to be filled with mental chatter. All the real performers appreciate the power of a quiet clear mind which will concentrate steadily on all important tasks.

• Enhance your will-power. You must first exercise it and then push before it gets stronger. When you are hungry, wait another hour before your meal. When you are laboring over a difficult task and your mind is prompting you to pick up the latest magazine for a break, curb the impulse. Soon you will be able to sit for hours in a precisely concentrated state. Newton had a remarkable ability to sit quietly and think without interruption for a very long period of time. If he can develop this, so can you.

• Never discuss your health, wealth and other personal matters with anyone outside your immediate family. Be very disciplined in this regard.

• Cultivate the art of walking half an hour after your dinner. Walks in natural settings are the very best. Walking is, perhaps, nature's ideal exercise.

• Be careful about your reputation. Never do anything you wouldn't be proud to tell your mother about. Have fun always but temper it with common sense and prudence.

• Become your spouse's number one supporter, the one who is always there supporting and fueling hopes and dreams. Develop together and march confidently through the world as an army of two.

• Spend time with Nature. Natural settings have a powerful effect on your senses which in turn will lead to a sense of renewal, refreshment and peacefulness.

• Try fasting one day every two weeks. During these fast days, drink fruit juice and eat fresh fruits only. You will feel more energetic, cleansed and alert.

• Drown your appetite by drinking more water - ten glasses a day is ideal. It revitalizes the system and purifies the body. Also get into the habit of eating soups and more complex carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes than other less healthy foods.

• A contented mind is a continual feast. Greed and material desires must be curbed to achieve lasting happiness and serenity. Be happy with what you have.

• Everyday, get away from the noise, the crowds and the rush and spend a few hours alone in peaceful introspection, deep reading or simple relaxation.

• Empty your cup. A full cup cannot accept anything more. Similarly, a person who believes that he cannot learn anything else will stagnate quickly and not move to higher levels. Even the teachers have teachers.

• Drink a cup of warm water before speech. Ronald Reagan employed this strategy to ensure that he maintained his honey-smooth voice. You will be judged by the caliber of your communication skills.

• Always remember the key principle that the quality of your life is the quality of your communication. This means the way you communicate with others and more importantly, with yourself. What you focus on is what you get.

• Aromas have been proven to be an effective means of entering a state of relaxation. Scents have a very noticeable effect on your mindset and moods.

• Never argue with the person you work for – you will lose more that just the argument.

• Do not take personal development books as gospel. Read them and take whatever useful ideas you need. Some people feel they must do everything suggested and take the techniques to extremes. Every book has atleast one tool or strategy of benefit.

• Keep well-informed about current events, the latest books and popular trends. Many peak performers read five or six papers a day. You don’t have to read every story of every paper. Know what to focus on.

• Readers are leaders. US Ex President Bill Clinton read more than 300 books during his short time at Oxford University. Some top performers read a book a day. The more you know, the less you fear.

• When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take – choose the bolder, said W J Slim. Take chances, take smart risks and you will meet with success beyond your dreams.

• You sow an action, you reap a habit. You sow a habit, you reap a character. You sow a character, you reap a destiny. The essence of a person is his character – make yours unique, unblemished and strong. Do not say you will do anything unless you will indeed do it. Speak the truth and measure your words wisely. Be humble, straight forward and peaceful.

• Read the biographies of the World’s leaders and learn from their habits, inspirations and philosophies. Cultivate the important practice of active role modeling.

• Remember and use people’s names when you talk to them. A person’s name is a uniquely sweet sound to them.

• Go outdoors and look up into the blue sky for half an hour. Note the supremely strong feeling that you get when you are connected to Nature. Get away from your rigid schedule which will provide a refreshing release and make you feel wonderful when you eventually return.

• Laugh at work and be known as a positive achiever.

• The most efficient and effective alarm clock ever developed lies within our own minds. Try the following:
1. Sit in an easy chair ten minutes before you go to bed.
2. Shut your eyes and gently rest your hands on your knees.
3. Breath deeply for a few minutes.
4. Repeat this for 20 times: “I will wake at 5AM feeling fresh, alert and enthusiastic”. Then visualize yourself waking up at the desired time and imagine how great you will feel. You will soon wake up at the desired moment after little or no practice.

• Develop the essential habit of punctuality for it is most important for high success. Punctuality reflects discipline and proper regard for others. Without it, even the most sophisticated person appears slightly offensive.

• Winners do the things that less developed people don’t like doing even though they also might now enjoy doing them. This is what strength of character and courage is all about.

• All individuals who have attained the highest of levels generally have cultivated the essential mental habit of optimism. Without optimism, life loses its luster and hardships appear at every step.

• As we can take nothing with us when we leave, when you wake up early in the morning, repeat the mantra:
1. I will serve others today.
2. I will care for others.
3. I will be kind today.

• This kind of living will bring you huge returns if you stay on the purpose of aiding others rather than on the outcome of personal gain.

• Each day, do two things that you do not like doing. This may be the preparation of a report you have been putting off or shining your shoes. It does not matter how small the task, just do it! Your personal power will increase and your productivity will soar.

• Pick 5 relationships that you desire to improve over the next 6 months. Write out the names of these people and under each name, detail why you want to improve the relationship, how you plan to do so and in what time frame. This is simply another facet of goal setting.

• Browse second – hand bookstores every few months searching for lost treasures of character-building books. You will find gems on public speaking, improving your habits, time management, personal health and other important subjects, at low prices.

• Be known as someone with a cool head, warm heart and great character. Your presence on this earth will long be remembered.

• Fill your home with bright, fresh flowers. This is one of the best investments you can make. Let the sounds of great music, loud laughter and good fun fill the oasis of your home.

• Recognize the power of mantras and the repetition of positive, powerful words. Indian yogis have employed this technique for over 4000 years to live tranquil, productive and focused lives.

• Build a mystique around yourself.

Hope this was useful.

NoeL