Book SummaryThe Everyday Hero Manifesto, by Robin Sharma

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The Everyday Hero Manifesto

In The Everyday Hero Manifesto, Robin Sharma promises that each of us has the potential to achieve great things—we don’t need superpowers or incredible natural talents to do so. By following the system laid out in this book, you can unlock your heroic potential, realize your dreams, and become a force for good in the world.

Sharma is a leadership expert, motivational speaker, and international bestselling author. He’s arguably best known for his self-help parable The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari (1996), which blends Buddhist teachings with secular practicality to help you live a healthy, balanced, and fulfilling life. The Everyday Hero Manifesto (2021) is the basis of one of Sharma’s online self-help courses and is, according to...

The Everyday Hero Manifesto Summary Introduction: You’re a Hero

Sharma begins by saying that everyone has the ability to be an everyday hero. For Sharma, a hero is an ordinary person who lives in an extraordinary way. You don’t need to be a genius or have any exceptional talents to be a hero in Sharma’s eyes—you simply need to fully commit to your purpose in life, exhibit positive attributes like integrity and empathy, and try to make the world a better place.

For example, a paramedic who saves lives is an everyday hero, but so is an artist whose work uplifts and inspires people. An office worker who always does his best, and who’s always ready to brighten someone else’s day with a joke or a kind...

The Everyday Hero Manifesto Summary Realize Your Heroic Potential

Becoming a hero like Sharma describes doesn’t require superpowers or extraordinary talents, but it does require work. In this section, we’ll go over Sharma’s suggestions for how to strengthen your mind, body, and heart to realize your full heroic potential. We’ll also explore how to set up your workspace and living space to help you succeed.

(Shortform note: Sharma provides so many different ways to tap into your full potential that this section may seem overwhelming. Another of his books, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, explains how to pursue self-improvement in a healthy, manageable way: by practicing kaizen, a Japanese word meaning continuous, steady growth. You don’t need to make all of these changes at once—instead, your goal for each day should be to make one small improvement.)

Empower Your Body

Sharma says that being in good physical health will greatly boost your energy and confidence, which is crucial for...

The Everyday Hero Manifesto Summary How to Be a Hero Every Day

We’ve explored Sharma’s definition of a hero and how to bring out the hero that was always inside you. In this final section, we’ll discuss the five principles that Sharma says allow you to get the best results from your heroic abilities.

(Shortform note: This section contains what Sharma calls the “Five Leaps.'' Although the Leaps themselves make up a small portion of the book, they form the foundation of Sharma’s concept of everyday heroism, and the rest of the book expands on those five core ideas. That’s why we’ve devoted much of this guide to these five principles. We’ve also rearranged these principles to put finding your purpose first—without knowing your purpose, the rest of this work might feel unfulfilling and unnecessary.)

Principle 1: Focus on the Tasks That Matter

Stop just keeping yourself busy, and start doing meaningful, purposeful work.

Sharma notes that often, we equate “having a busy life” with “being productive.” However, if your time is packed with busywork and distractions, rather than work that advances you toward your meaningful goals, then you’re not truly being productive. Further, you’re not living up to your heroic potential. To become...

Shortform Exercise: Reflect on Your Heroic Origin Story

Now that you’ve read Sharma’s ideas about how to unlock and use your full potential, think about how you could start your journey to become an everyday hero. Remember that you don’t need to make a lot of changes all at once—small adjustments over time add up to big improvements.

Which of the four areas of empowerment (body, mind, heart, and environment) do you feel would be most beneficial for you to focus on right now? Why? (For example, if your home is always messy, then perhaps focusing on empowering your environment would do you the most good right now.)