The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny

The deeper reason for all the self-mastery and life skills discussed in the book is to be better equipped to help others. It’s a full circle: Self-improvement makes one a better contributor and collaborator, and “when you work to improve the lives of others, you indirectly elevate your own life in the process” (174). While it’s possible for somebody to adopt the lessons up through Chapter 11, stop reading, and selfishly run with it, the wisdom of these lessons is incomplete without this component of selflessness and helping others.

Julian’s discussion of paradigms and the need to change one’s vision of their place in the world comes at the end because it is difficult to accomplish without the accumulated wisdom of the preceding chapters. For example, the book’s focus on identifying one’s purpose and the practical techniques it offers, including different forms of meditation, is custom-built for reorienting one’s sense of their position in the world and for keeping perspective. These techniques, which help people not sweat the small stuff and to live in the present moment without lingering in the past or worrying about the future, make it easier to live optimistically every day.