What I took back from Robin Sharma's book The Everyday Hero Manifesto

I feel like I have grown as a person after I started implying what I read in this book by Robin Sharma. Over a span of 15 days, this book has taught me so much. I won’t be able to discuss the entire book here (for obvious reasons) but I am going to tell you in this article what I took back from this book so as to convince you to read the book and maybe learn something through my learnings.

• TRAUMA IS A TEACHER

We all have trauma. The word ‘trauma’ is usually avoided and seen as a bad word. We have been looking at it wrong. Trauma is your biggest teacher. Unlocking your past trauma is not a waste of time, it is to unlock your best self.

Relating this to my own life, there are so many things I have avoided confronting with myself. I avoided it because I hadn’t healed from the hurt but when I sat down and looked back if it wasn’t for those things, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. This version of myself that I am actually proud of.

• Treat people with kindness

Treat everyone with kindness. don’t let people down, pull them up. Leave everyone you meet better than you found them.

Put down your phone and have a conversation. I am guilty of this too. Whenever I am alone either on a train or in my college, my reflex is to put on earphones and listen to something and switch off the world around me. Sometimes, you need to get out of the phone and have actual conversations with people. You never know what will help you grow or how you could make a person's day by just engaging in a conversation with them.

It takes very little to make people happy. If you can do it, then why not? You might be the reason someone smiles.

• CONSISTENCY

Robin Sharma always focuses on consistency. If you have read the 5 AM Club, in that book too he always focuses on consistency. In fact, most authors and high-level players focus on this concept. It is not important what you do one day, it's important what you do every single day.

• Expect Ungrateful

I've already written about this in an Instagram post. To view it click here https://www.instagram.com/p/CYVlAruLRCy/

• Fake it till you make it

As cheesy and cliché as this line is, it actually works. Just imagine yourself to be the person you want to be and start behaving that way and things will happen.

“It's easier to act yourself into thinking rather than think yourself into acting.”

Another point I would like to focus on is where he speaks about forcing yourself to do something. Keeping something at stake to follow it. I have tried it in the past few days and it has really worked for me. What is by force and keeping something at stake?

I have been wanting to get up early for a really long time but for some reason, I never did get up. The alarm would ring and I'd snooze and go back to sleep. What I needed is a push out of bed. So I told one of my friends that for the next three days if I don’t wake up at 6am, I will give you 1500 Rs.

For a student like me, 1500 is a big amount. Guess what? I was up at 5:45 the next day. I didn’t want to lose my money. Keeping something at stake really helps when you are unable to develop a habit. If you want to get in shape, just take a gym membership for an entire year. The moment you realised that you’ve paid for it, you'll do it.

• Avoid distractions

In this digital age, we have so so so many distractions. From the moment we wake up till we sleep, we have social media that keeps us engaged. To get work done, you need to get away from all the distractions. There is a concept called Cognitive Bandwidth that is the amount of attention that our brain has. We have to learn to use this limited attention in the right places.

• Don’t take yourself too seriously

Life is too short to keep worrying about the little things. Life always has got your back.

Here a dialogue from Om Shanti Om for you

“Aaj iss baath ka bhi yakeen hogaya ki humari filmon ke tarah, humari zindagi mein bhi end tak sab theek hi ho jaatha hai. Happy ending. Aur agar theek nah ho toh who ‘the end’ nahi hai. Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost!”

“Today, I believe that just like in the films, in life too, everything gets alright in the end. Happy Ending. And if it doesn’t get alright, then it’s not the end. The film isn’t over yet, my friend!

Everything gets alright in the end!

• Be serious when you are serious

When you are working on something, give your 200 per cent. Don’t check your messages and scroll through social media or even pick up a call. Be serious then. As soon as you finish your work, let go. Do whatever you want to do become completely ‘unserious’.

• Life regrets on deathbed

There was this entire chapter on what people regretted most on their deathbed. This chapter gave me a lot of perspectives. I'm just going to share the headings with you so today even you can become a better person and not regret it tomorrow.

1. They wish they had kept a greater perspective

2. They wish they hadn’t worried so much about what people think

3. They wish they hadn’t wasted so much time

4. They wish they had enjoyed the pilgrimage of life more

5. They wish they were more kind and loving.

These things that I have mentioned in this article is just the tip of the iceberg. I cannot cover an entire book in 1000 words. If you have the time, I would suggest you read the book. I can officially say that it has changed my life. Hope it will help you unleash the hero in you and become a better person!