--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I became a monk, it didn't feel like…" description: "\"When I became a monk, it didn't feel like I was giving up that much. I actually felt like I had made the best decision, because anyone who hadn't focus..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/jay-shetty-9128_best_when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like_2245289.jpg" --- # When I became a monk, it didn't feel like I was giving up… ![“When I became a monk, it didn't feel like I was giving up that much. I actually felt like I had made the best decision, because anyone who hadn't focused on building themselves up was the one losing out.” quote by Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/jay-shetty-9128_best_when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like_2245289.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/jay-shetty-9128_best_when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like_2245289.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/jay-shetty-9128_best_when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like_2245289.jpg) > “When I became a monk, it didn't feel like I was giving up that much. I actually felt like I had made the best decision, because anyone who hadn't focused on building themselves up was the one losing out.” [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing personal growth over external comforts leads to greater fulfillment than merely giving up. **In simple terms:** Self‑improvement feels rewarding, not sacrificial. Key Takeaway Prioritize inner development. Themes self‑growth mindfulness fulfillment Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career transition - spiritual practice - education - habit change Key Concepts personal development monastic discipline self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on self‑building affect relationships? - What sacrifices are truly necessary for growth? A Different Perspective May overlook social connections or material needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monk/) ## Related quotes > [But when I lived as a monk, solitude is often spoken of as a strength. And so the first thing I'd recommend is finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/but-when-i-lived-as-a-monk-solitude-is-often-spoken-of-as-a-strength/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [Becoming a monk was a hard decision. Leaving being a monk was harder, but it's given me so much faith in my ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/becoming-a-monk-was-a-hard-decision-leaving-being-a-monk-was-harder/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [Giving up a lot of yourself isn't really that hard when you realize that you get more than you give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goodman/giving-up-a-lot-of-yourself-isn-t-really-that-hard-when-you-realize/) [John Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goodman/) > [Giving up doesn't always mean ur weak sometimes it just means that ur strong enough to let go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/giving-up-doesn-t-always-mean-ur-weak-sometimes-it-just-means-that-ur/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Giving up doesnt always mean you are weak; sometimes it means that you are strong enough to let go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/giving-up-doesnt-always-mean-you-are-weak-sometimes-it-means-that-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We give up what we want to give up and keep what in some way we still want to keep. There are payoffs for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/we-give-up-what-we-want-to-give-up-and-keep-what-in-some-way-we-still/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The weak, the fearful, the ignorant will never reach the Atman. You cannot undo what you have done; the effect must come. Face it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-weak-the-fearful-the-ignorant-will-never-reach-the-atman-you/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Sometimes when you say you giving up that means you aint trying or you dont wanna do it because you think you goin fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayshawn07/sometimes-when-you-say-you-giving-up-that-means-you-aint-trying-or/) Rayshawn07 > [There is no such thing as helplessness. It's just another word for giving up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-smith/there-is-no-such-thing-as-helplessness-it-s-just-another-word-for/) [Jefferson Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-smith/) > [Indeed, said the monk, a mass, a matins, and vespers well rung are half-said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/indeed-said-the-monk-a-mass-a-matins-and-vespers-well-rung-are-half/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [A solitary American monk named Thomas Berry writes that in our relationship to nature, we have been autistic for centuries. Wrapped tightly in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/a-solitary-american-monk-named-thomas-berry-writes-that-in-our/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [If your spirit still looks around at the time of prayer, then it does not yet pray as a monk. You are no better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evagrius-ponticus/if-your-spirit-still-looks-around-at-the-time-of-prayer-then-it-does/) [Evagrius Ponticus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evagrius-ponticus/) > [I listened to King Oliver and I listened to Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp... I listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/i-listened-to-king-oliver-and-i-listened-to-louis-armstrong-jelly/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) ## More by Jay Shetty > [We often refer to loneliness as something negative. And we look at it as a weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/we-often-refer-to-loneliness-as-something-negative-and-we-look-at-it/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [When it comes to people I love and care about, I may condense the time, but I'm giving them every ounce of my energy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/when-it-comes-to-people-i-love-and-care-about-i-may-condense-the-time/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [My favorite way to learn is to speak to people who are already doing I want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/my-favorite-way-to-learn-is-to-speak-to-people-who-are-already-doing/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [How do we merge entertainment and education? We live in a world where entertainment wins, but if entertainment can have an educational heart, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/how-do-we-merge-entertainment-and-education-we-live-in-a-world-where/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [If there's something you really love, something that you're excited to learn, something that you're energized when you hear about, speak about, or read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/if-there-s-something-you-really-love-something-that-you-re-excited-to/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [Knowledge is power, and it can help you overcome any fear of the unexpected. When you learn, you gain more awareness through the process,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/knowledge-is-power-and-it-can-help-you-overcome-any-fear-of-the/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [Giving yourself space and time can actually lead to the birth of more creativity, better creativity, and some of your best work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/giving-yourself-space-and-time-can-actually-lead-to-the-birth-of-more/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [I think being still and being silent and finding your own space is so important in this hectic world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/i-think-being-still-and-being-silent-and-finding-your-own-space-is-so/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [Often, we think of change as being raising a million dollars or helping 100,000 people. But true change, real change could be just calling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/often-we-think-of-change-as-being-raising-a-million-dollars-or/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [Instead of trying to get work, focus on your network. People will play a huge part in directing your growth and investing in relationships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/instead-of-trying-to-get-work-focus-on-your-network-people-will-play/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [We have a tendency to assume or believe saying I love you means we are ready for love, or that hearing it from someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/we-have-a-tendency-to-assume-or-believe-saying-i-love-you-means-we/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [What you smell has a big impact on how you feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/what-you-smell-has-a-big-impact-on-how-you-feel/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [The quicker we can transfer our online connections to offline ones, the more meaningful social media becomes; rather than just leaving them there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/the-quicker-we-can-transfer-our-online-connections-to-offline-ones/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [So many of our love languages are based on how our parents loved us or didn't love us. What our parents gave us either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/so-many-of-our-love-languages-are-based-on-how-our-parents-loved-us/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [If you know what you need, you will find the answers when you read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/if-you-know-what-you-need-you-will-find-the-answers-when-you-read/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) [Explore all 75 Jay Shetty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) ## More Best quotes > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/) Gene Scott > [I'm looking to fight the best guys in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/i-m-looking-to-fight-the-best-guys-in-the-world/) [Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/) > [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/) [Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/) Browse all 21,674 Best quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I became a monk, it didn't feel like I was giving up that much. I actually felt like I had made the best decision, because anyone who hadn't focused on building themselves up was the one losing out.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jay Shetty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like-i-was-giving-up-that-much-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Best" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like-i-was-giving-up-that-much-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/jay-shetty-9128_best_when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like_2245289.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/jay-shetty-9128_best_when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like_2245289.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/jay-shetty-9128_best_when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like_2245289.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I became a monk, it didn't feel like I was giving up that much. I actually felt like I had made the…” — Jay Shetty", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jay Shetty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I became a monk, it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like-i-was-giving-up-that-much-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/when-i-became-a-monk-it-didn-t-feel-like-i-was-giving-up-that-much-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```