During a recent walk, I heard, “You have a monkey mind.” … hold on, what?
I started to giggle. I like monkeys and was instantly transported to a fun trip to Ubud, Bali, visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest where they are so cheeky, climbing all over you, and stealing the peanuts from your pocket and bananas from your backpack.
Listening to Jay Shetty’s audiobook, Think Like a Monk, this phrase got my attention.
Monkey Mind and the Buddist philosophy originates in Chinese folklore to describe the chaotic thoughts and emotions of our brains. Brain experts trace this region known as the default mode network (DMN) … in case you want to sound fancy.
He explained the difference between a monkey mind and a monk mind (an excerpt below); it got me thinking about the link between our thought patterns as luxury leaders and our professional thought patterns to lead our teams and clients. I want to have a monk’s mind.
Here is an excerpt of some of the characteristics he outlines:
| Monkey Mind | Monk Mind |
| Overwhelmed by multiple issues | Focused on the root cause of an issue |
| Overthinks and procrastinates | Analyzes and articulates |
| Self-centered and obsessed | Self-care for service |
| Looks for pleasure | Looks for meaning |
| Short term gratification | Long term gain |
| Multi tasking | Single-tasking |
If you want to lead more from a place of service, being more thoughtful and strategic about how you invest your time, attention, and energy, you might enjoy this book too.
