The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

when all is said and done, no matter what you have achieved, no
matter how many summer homes you own, no matter how many
cars sit in your driveway, the quality of your life will come down to
the quality of your contribution."
"Does this have something to do with the fresh yellow roses in
Yogi Raman's fable?"
"Of course it does. The flowers will remind you of the ancient
Chinese proverb, "a little bit of fragrance always clings to the hand
that gives you roses." The meaning is clear — when you work to
improve the lives of others, you indirectly elevate your own life in
the process. When you take care to practice random acts of
kindness daily, your own life becomes far richer and more
meaningful. To cultivate the sacredness and sanctity of each day,
serve others in some way."
"Are you suggesting that I get involved in some volunteer
work?"
"That's an excellent starting point. But what I'm speaking of is
much more philosophical than that. I'm suggesting that you adopt
a new paradigm of your role on this planet."
"You're losing me again. Shed some light on the term
paradigm. I'm not really familiar with it."
"A paradigm is simply a way of looking at a circumstance or at
life in general. Some people see the glass of life as half empty. The
optimists see it as half full. They interpret the same circumstance
differently because they have adopted a different paradigm. A
paradigm is basically the lens through which you see the events of
your life, both external and internal."
"So when you suggest that I adopt a new paradigm of my
purpose, are you saying that I should change my outlook?"
"Sort of. To dramatically improve the quality of your life, you