I recently finished reading The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma, and I can say without hesitation that it is one of those books that quietly rearranges your thinking.
It is not loud. It is not complex. It does not overwhelm you with data or tactics. Instead, it gently forces you to look inward and ask a question that most of us avoid: What truly matters?
In a culture that celebrates accumulation, speed, and comparison, this book offers something different. It invites reflection. It asks us to reconsider the relationship between ambition and fulfillment. It reminds us that life is more than worldly possessions. It is about the path we take, the people we meet, and the character we build along the way.
This one earns five Golden Squeegees from me. Easily.
The Ferrari Moment
The story centers around Julian Mantle, a high-powered lawyer who seemingly has everything. Wealth. Status. The Ferrari. Yet beneath the surface, he is exhausted, unhealthy, and spiritually empty.
I can relate to that more than I would like to admit.
There have been seasons in my life where the external wins were undeniable. Growth. Momentum. Achievement. Yet internally, something felt off balance. I have come to recognize those moments as what I call my own “Ferrari moments.”
For me, they show up as an imbalance.
When business dominates everything, I feel it. When competition becomes louder than connection, I feel it. When ambition overshadows gratitude, I feel it.
Life is not easy to balance. Especially in a competitive culture that constantly pushes us to outdo one another. But awareness is powerful. Recognizing when you are drifting gives you the opportunity to recalibrate.
One chapter that resonated deeply with me discussed attention. Where you place your attention allows that thing to grow and eventually consume you. This is true for both good and bad.
If you focus on growth, growth expands.
If you focus on fear, fear expands.
If you focus on gratitude, gratitude expands.
Attention is fertilizer.
That truth alone is worth reflecting on daily.
Mastery Of The Mind
Of the seven virtues shared in the book, mastery of the mind stood out most to me.
Your mind is the most powerful instrument you possess. It can build your future or quietly sabotage it. It can magnify opportunity or exaggerate fear. The thoughts you rehearse become the life you experience.
Entrepreneurs often chase tactics. Marketing systems. Sales strategies. Operational refinements. Those things matter. But they are secondary to the internal conversation happening in your own head.
If your mind is scattered, your business will be scattered.
If your mind is disciplined, your results will reflect that discipline.
This book did not make me uncomfortable. It made me reflective. It encouraged me to examine habits that deserve more intention.
For example, I have committed to speaking my personal mantra daily, out loud and with purpose. Words repeated consistently shape belief. Belief shapes behavior.
I am also shifting from simply reading books to studying them. There is a difference. Reading is consumption. Studying is transformation.
Philosophy is becoming part of my rhythm. I plan to study Siddhartha more deeply. Gandhi is on my reading list. Ancient ancestral teachings intrigue me. I am not just chasing business knowledge anymore. I am seeking wisdom.
And yes, I am adding daily yoga into my life. Not as a trend, but as a discipline that reinforces presence and balance.
The Quiet Power Of Kaizen
Another virtue that spoke to me was Kaizen, the commitment to continuous improvement.
When I started Window Ninjas, Kaizen was at the core of everything. Improve the service. Improve the systems. Improve the communication. Improve the culture. Small refinements, consistently applied.
Over time, success can subtly pull you away from that sharpness. Growth can create comfort. Comfort can create stagnation.
Kaizen is a reminder that improvement never stops. Not in business. Not in leadership. Not in character.
That means journaling. Reflecting. Scheduling time for self improvement. Protecting that time as intentionally as you would protect a major client meeting.
It also means embracing the present moment. This is an area where I have room to grow. My mind often races ahead to the next milestone, the next expansion, the next goal.
The monk reminds us that life only exists in the present. The future is imagined. The past is remembered. The present is lived.
Perhaps we need to slow down in order to truly move forward.
Leadership Through Inner Alignment
This book is not just spiritual reflection. It has direct implications for leadership.
Entrepreneurs who sustain long term success are lifelong learners. They adapt. They evolve. They understand that growth requires personal expansion.
But beyond skill expansion lies something deeper: inner alignment.
If your internal world is chaotic, your leadership will reflect that chaos. If your internal world is steady, calm, and purposeful, your team will feel it.
If our franchisees fully embraced the philosophy shared in this book, I genuinely believe their results would improve. Not because of a new tactic, but because of clarity. Because of discipline. Because of purpose.
Customers can sense presence. Teams respond to intentional leadership. Families thrive under balanced influence.
The monk emphasizes service. True leadership is rooted in service. When ambition is anchored in service, it becomes sustainable. When ambition is anchored in ego, it eventually exhausts you.
There is nothing wrong with building wealth. There is nothing wrong with pursuing excellence. But fulfillment cannot be built on accumulation alone.
Slowing Down To Speed Up
Interestingly, books like this do not slow me down in a negative way. They create a different kind of acceleration.
They slow my thinking. They deepen my awareness. They create space between reaction and response.
In that sense, yes, they slow me down. And in doing so, they make me more effective.
I need to reflect more. I need to invest more energy into understanding people, not just processes. I need to cultivate peace alongside productivity.
If my sons were to read this book and fully absorb its message, I believe it would elevate them in ways that are difficult to measure. They already carry many of the qualities the monk describes. Presence. Perspective. A quiet strength.
As for me, I am still refining. Still learning. Still growing.
And perhaps that humility is part of the lesson.
Beyond Accumulation
Ambition is not the enemy.
Ego unchecked is.
The Ferrari is not inherently dangerous. It becomes dangerous when it defines you. When identity is tied solely to achievement, life becomes fragile.
This book challenges us to ask whether we are building a life or simply building a machine.
Are we present with the people around us?
Are we intentional with our time?
Are we aligned with our deeper purpose?
These are not soft questions. They are foundational ones.
The Return On Reflection
In business, we calculate return on investment constantly. Yet we rarely ask about the return on reflection.
What is the ROI of meditation?
What is the ROI of journaling?
What is the ROI of practicing gratitude?
What is the ROI of daily yoga?
Clarity.
Focus.
Longevity.
Peace.
These are advantages that compound quietly over time.
You can outwork competitors for a season.
You can outspend competitors for a season.
But if you outgrow them internally, you build something that lasts.
Final Reflection
When you finish The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, I hope you feel what I felt.
Calm. Inspired. Thoughtful.
Not rushed. Not pressured. Not judged.
Just aware.
Aware that maybe slowing down can actually help you move forward. Aware that attention shapes reality. Aware that fulfillment is built from within, not purchased externally.
This is a book about discipline, purpose, service, and presence.
It is about reclaiming your mind before the world claims it for you.
Five Golden Squeegees. Without hesitation.
Build wealth. Build impact. Build something meaningful.
But never forget to build yourself along the way.
Keep Shining.
