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    Living with the Monks by Jesse Itzler Summary

    Living with the Monks
    Jesse Itzler
    3.84 (3013 Reviews)
    Self-growthMindfulnessEntrepreneurship
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    Overview of Living with the Monks

    When entrepreneur Jesse Itzler unplugged and joined New Skete monks, he discovered transformative lessons on focus and presence. Endorsed by Arianna Huffington as antidote to burnout, this journey reveals why monotasking might be your secret weapon in our distraction-filled world.

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    “

    My relationship with time is out of balance," he realized. "When I'm in my routine-time flies. When I'm not in my routine-time slows."

    ”
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    Key Takeaways

    1

    The Monastery Calling: Finding Silence in a Noisy World

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    Standing in his living room at 4:53 a.m., Jesse Itzler was already deep into emails and texts when his Navy SEAL trainer spotted his phone and mockingly erupted: "You need to clear your mind." Despite having it all - four children, successful businesses, and a loving wife (Spanx founder Sara Blakely) - Jesse felt overwhelmed by constant connectivity. Something inside him craved silence. He needed a reset - a self-imposed time-out that would create a different kind of edge. This yearning would lead him on an unexpected journey to a monastery, trading his entrepreneur's lifestyle for a monk's cell, seeking wisdom that boardrooms couldn't provide. What began as a vague spiritual quest would transform into fifteen days of profound lessons that would reshape his relationship with time, effort, and happiness itself.

    2

    Mountain Wisdom: Where Time Stands Still

    3

    Expectations Shattered: Not the Monastery I Imagined

    4

    The Rhythm of Silence: Daily Life Among the Monks

    5

    Sacred Commerce: The Business of Spirituality

    6

    The Breakthrough Edge: Finding Clarity in Simplicity

    7

    Bringing the Monastery Home: Living with Monk-Like Purpose