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- Title: Think Like a Monk: The secret of how to harness the power of positivity and be happy now
- Author: Jay Shetty
- Narrator: Jay Shetty
- Length: 10:54:42
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 08/09/2020
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers UK
- Genre: Religion & Spirituality, Self Development, Health & Wellness, Buddhism, Mindfulness & Meditation
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
It’s not every day you stumble upon an audiobook that feels like a compass for the wandering heart, but “Think Like a Monk: The Secret of How to Harness the Power of Positivity and Be Happy Now”, written and narrated by Jay Shetty, is just that. I first pressed play on this mindfulness gem while winding through the dusty roads of northern Portugal, the late afternoon sun casting golden streaks across the Douro Valley. The landscape felt timeless, much like the wisdom Shetty unpacks in this 11-hour journey – a blend of ancient monastic teachings and modern-day practicality that somehow feels both grounding and uplifting.
The audiobook experience begins with Shetty’s voice – warm, deliberate, and brimming with an authenticity that pulls you in like a friend sharing secrets over a cup of café con leche. It reminds me of a time when I stayed with a family in Oaxaca, gathered around their grandmother as she wove tales of love and loss under a flickering lantern. Her pauses, her cadence – it was storytelling as an art form. Shetty brings that same intimate quality here, narrating his own transformation from a London kid chasing success to a monk in India, then back to a life of purpose. You can almost hear the ashram’s stillness in his tone, a quiet power that makes the listening experience feel personal, as if he’s speaking directly to you.
The book’s core is a roadmap to living with intention, drawn from Shetty’s years in the Vedic tradition. He breaks it down into digestible steps – letting go of negativity, finding your dharma (purpose), mastering self-discipline – all wrapped in stories that stick with you. One moment, he’s recounting how monks sweep floors to practice humility; the next, he’s challenging you to audit your media diet. It’s practical spirituality, the kind that resonates whether you’re meditating in a temple or stuck in traffic. Listening to him explore gratitude, I couldn’t help but think of a night in the Atacama Desert, when I first heard “One Hundred Years of Solitude” on audio. The surreal landscape mirrored García Márquez’s magical realism, and Shetty’s words here carry a similar weight – simple truths that unfold like a vast, quiet expanse.
Shetty’s narration is a standout. His background as a podcaster shines through – every word is clear, every pause intentional. At 0.45 days (about 11 hours), the audiobook never drags; it’s paced like a conversation you don’t want to end. The audio quality is crisp, with no distracting background noise – just his voice, steady and soothing, like a guide through a storm. For fans of mindfulness and meditation, it’s a masterclass in delivery. Yet, it’s not perfect. At times, his earnestness borders on preachy, especially when he leans hard into self-help clichés like “you are enough.” It’s a small quibble, but it can feel like he’s trying to sell you on the monk life a bit too eagerly.
The content itself is a treasure chest of ideas. Shetty dives into Buddhist-inspired concepts – detachment, ego, compassion – with a clarity that makes them accessible, even if you’ve never chanted a mantra in your life. He’s not just parroting ancient texts; he’s lived them, and that authenticity bleeds through. I found myself nodding along as he described how fear traps us in cycles of overthinking – something I’ve felt on long solo treks, when the silence amplifies every doubt. His exercises, like visualizing your ideal self, are grounded and actionable, though I wished he’d dug deeper into the messier side of applying these lessons. Life isn’t always as tidy as his advice suggests.
Compared to other self-development audiobooks, “Think Like a Monk” sits somewhere between Brené Brown’s vulnerability-driven “Daring Greatly” and the stoic pragmatism of Ryan Holiday’s “The Obstacle Is the Way”. Brown’s work, which I’ve listened to while sipping mate in Argentina, digs into emotional rawness; Shetty skims that surface but focuses more on structure and purpose. Holiday’s grit feels more philosophical, while Shetty’s approach is warmer, more relational. His health and wellness lens, paired with spirituality, makes this a unique listen – perfect for anyone craving meaning without dogma.
The strengths are clear: Shetty’s narration is magnetic, the wisdom is timeless yet fresh, and the audiobook experience feels like a retreat for your mind. It’s ideal for seekers – travelers, dreamers, or anyone burnt out on chaos. But it’s not flawless. Some anecdotes feel polished to a fault, and the positivity can gloss over life’s harder edges. If you’re skeptical of self-help, you might roll your eyes at moments. Still, I’d recommend it to anyone curious about mindfulness or Buddhism, or just needing a voice to cut through the noise. Pair it with a long drive or a quiet evening – it’s that kind of companion.
Reflecting on it now, “Think Like a Monk” feels like those evenings in Oaxaca, when the grandmother’s stories left us fuller than the meal we’d just shared. It’s not about escaping life but stepping into it with clearer eyes. As I finished the final chapter, parked under a chestnut tree in Galicia, I felt a quiet shift – not a revelation, but a nudge toward something truer. That’s the magic of this audiobook: it doesn’t demand you become a monk, but it dares you to live like one, just for a moment.
Until our next adventure, with a heart full of stories, Marcus Rivera
