7 Important Lessons To Remember From Robin Sharma’s Book – Who Will Cry When You Die?

Robin Sharma is quiet an eminent personality. Avid book readers surely know Robin Sharma – the Canadian Writer. He has written many bestsellers that include “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari“, “Who Will Cry When You Die?“, “The 5AM Club“, etc. We are sure that many readers are drawn to this book just by seeing the title. The title is also highly touching. It raises several questions.

The book is written in simple language and has some highly inspirational chapters. Through a total of 101 lessons, Robin Sharma skillfully guides the readers and motivates them to live freely and fully. He has incorporated the sayings of many other eminent figures such as Mother Teresa, Rainer Maria Rilke, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and many others.

Now let’s discuss seven lessons from this book that are extremely crucial if we want to radiate positivity, inspiration, and enlightenment in our lives:-

Honour your past

This is the 7th lesson in the book. This lesson lays importance on the fact that dwelling on the past will never be helpful in creating a better future. The past can certainly not be altered. It can only be accepted wholly. Robin Sharma asks the reader to use the lessons learned from the past to brighten the present and the future. This is how growth happens. The lesson also stresses the bitter truth that obstacles are certain in our lives but we need to learn from every experience of life – be it good or bad.

Talk to yourself

This is the 11th lesson in the book. This lesson asks the readers to constantly communicate with their own self so that we can train our minds to think clearly, logically, and positively. This lesson also tells us to make “mantras” a part of our lives that can be said to enhance the quality of our lives. The chapter concludes with a very deep saying by Hazrat Inayat Khan – “The words that enlighten the soul are more precious than jewels.”

Savour the simple stuff

This is the 70th lesson of the book. This lesson is extremely crucial and holds significant relevance in today’s world which is evolving at a very fast rate. We often run behind wealth and materialistic things, and due to this, we ignore the fact that even life’s simplest things can provide us with joy, peace of mind, contentment, and pleasure. Robin Sharma advises the readers to inculcate the “wisdom” to savor the simple things as they carry with them memories that are far more real and satisfying. The chapter ends with a saying by Emma Goldman – “I’d rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.”

Don’t be so hard on yourself

This is the 79th chapter of this self-help manual. This chapter tells us that there will be no advantage if we keep loathing ourselves for our past mistakes. We need to understand and make peace with the fact that we as human beings will never attain perfection. We have to embrace our imperfections and work on them diligently. If we get too hard on ourselves, we will never get the courage to learn new things in life. This will hamper our growth. Robin Sharma reminds the readers to be gentle on themselves as only that will ultimately provide room for self-discovery, personal growth, and lifelong learning.

Don’t worry about things you can’t change

This is the 89th chapter of the book. This whole chapter is centered around a very famous and apt saying which goes like this -“Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.” Worrying is never a solution to problems.

Robin Sharma guides the readers in this chapter to identify the cause of their worries and then let go of them. Holding onto the worries will never yield anything favorable and productive. Situations don’t change by worrying. Sometimes we need to accept things as they are. Worry is the greatest enemy of happiness. So we should try not to worry about the things and situations that we can’t change.

Respect your instincts

This is the 97th lesson of this book. This chapter depicts the message that one should always listen to their “inner guide” as that is our personal source of wisdom. Robin Sharma wants the readers to understand and respect their own instincts as it will slowly and effectively guide us in the right direction. In order to live a fruitful and purposeful life, we must not look for external validations and respect our instincts first as they are our true guides.

Quotes that inspire you

This is the 98th chapter of the book. Robin Sharma himself has incorporated so many quotes from famous personalities to give out the message of positivity, self-worth, and kindness. This is because these quotations are short and crisp and they can really compel us to think and act prudently.

Let us now see some of the quotes that are an absolute inspiration:

a) "You can't let your failures define you. You have to let your failures teach you." - BARACK OBAMA

b) "The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self." - DALAI LAMA

c) "Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes." - BUDDHA

d) "Tenderness and Kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution." - KAHLIL GIBRAN

e) "Talk to yourself once in a day, otherwise you may miss meeting an intelligent person in this world." - SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

f) "If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway." - MOTHER TERESA

g) "It's much better to do good in a way that no one knows anything about it." - LEO TOLSTOY

h) "Nothing in the world can bother you as much as your own mind, I tell you. In fact, others seem to be bothering you, but it is not others, it is your own mind." - SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

i) "Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember -- the only taste of success some people have when they take a bite out of you." - ZIG ZIGLAR

j) "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." - RALPH WALDO EMERSON 

k) "I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it." - MAYA ANGELOU

l) "Becoming a good person in your eyes is better than to be good in other's eyes." - BK SHIVANI

Apart from these 12 quotes, there are several other quotes that we should use as a booster whenever we feel bogged down by life. Let us be practical – life can’t be smooth and perfect always. It is important to maintain our calm and go on. Because moving on might open up new avenues but holding up will never yield any good.

The whole book of 101 chapters has brilliantly encapsulated various life lessons, quotes, and stories full of wisdom to encourage the readers to embrace everything in life with the right kind of attitude as only with the right attitude, we can give room to self-growth in our lives.

Thus, every one of us must have a copy of this book in our library as these simple and insightful chapters can greatly help in enriching the quality of our lives and thoughts.

Also read – 10 Awe-Inspiring Life Lessons to Learn from Vex King’s – “Good Vibes, Good Life”