A few months ago, while preparing my activities for the week. I counted eleven things on my to-do list before 9 a.m. Nothing urgent, really. Just emails, calls, a workout I kept promising myself, a project I’d been “getting to” for months. I stared at that list and felt something I couldn’t quite name. It wasn’t stress, more like exhaustion from a race I didn’t remember signing up for.
That same week, I came across The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari while scrolling through book recommendations. The title stopped me. A man who had money, status, a packed schedule — and gave it all up. I wasn’t looking for a life overhaul. I just wanted to breathe. So I bought it.
Everyone seems to know this title, even people who’ve never actually read it. I didn’t expect it to meet me exactly where I was. But it did.
What It’s Really About
The story follows Julian Mantle, a high-powered lawyer who has everything society tells us to want. Then one day, he collapses in the middle of a courtroom.
He disappears after that. Months later, he resurfaces, transformed. He’d traveled to the Himalayas and studied under a group of monks called the Sages of Sivana. He came back with lessons on how to actually live, instead of just chasing.
Julian tells the rest of his story to a friend, one lesson at a time. Every page pulled me in a little deeper. I won’t share how it all unfolds . I want you to feel that same curiosity I did.
The Lesson That Hit Hardest
Julian compares the mind to a garden. Left untended, weeds creep in — negative thoughts, distractions, busyness. Tend to it deliberately, daily, and it grows the way you actually want.
That part sat with me. It’s easy to assume you’ll get to your health, your mindset, your priorities once things calm down. Julian didn’t get that choice on his own terms. His body forced the pause for him.
The book isn’t asking you to abandon ambition. It’s asking you to check what your ambition is costing you before life sends you the bill.
Why I Loved This One
I’ll admit it — I’m a fan of Robin Sharma. I enjoy how he writes, and this particular book was a great read for me. I enjoyed every line of the story. I enjoyed the curiosity of wondering what Julian discovered next, the way the parables sat quietly inside the bigger story, and how easy it was to picture everything as I read. It didn’t feel like a lesson being handed to me. It felt like a story I actually wanted to keep reading.
The Short Lesson
If you take one thing from this book, let it be this: don’t wait for a crisis to force you to slow down. Choose it on purpose, before life chooses it for you.
Why This One’s on the Shelf
I’ve written before about why I keep a shelf of books like this. The ones that stop you mid-scroll and make you think. This is one of them. It didn’t just entertain me. It shifted something in how I think about my own pace. Since reading it, I’ve caught myself pausing before saying yes to one more thing, and actually asking whether it’s worth what it will cost me.
Suppose you’re in a season of running fast and not sure why, or if you’ve already read this one. I’d love to hear where it found you. Drop it in the comments.
For more from my shelf, check out the Book Recommendation category or start with my thoughts on identity and the roles we play, if slowing down isn’t the only thing on your mind right now.
With love,Â
Cheta Otiji