Sunday Reflections — How not to sweat the small stuff
This week, Sunday Reflections brings you select quotes from Richard Carlson, author of ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff’:
“Learning to stop sweating the small stuff involves deciding what things to engage in and what things to ignore…”
“The first step to becoming a more peaceful person is to have the humility to admit that, in most cases, you’re creating your own emergencies. Life will usually go on if things don’t go according to plan. It’s helpful to keep reminding yourself and repeating the sentence, “Life isn’t an emergency”.
“The truth is, we don’t know what’s going to happen — we just think we do. Often we make a big deal out of something. We blow up scenarios in our minds about all the terrible things that are going to happen. Most of the time we are wrong. If we keep our cool and stay open to possibilities, we can be reasonably certain that, eventually, all will be well.”
“The next time you feel low, for whatever reason, remind yourself, “This too shall pass.” It will.”
Ask yourself this question: “Will this matter a year from now?”
“Wise people throughout history have been those who saw that while life is real, life’s problems are an illusion, they are thought-created. These people know that we manufacture and blow problems way out of proportion through our own ability to think. They also know that if we can step outside the boundaries of our own thinking, we can find the answer we are looking for.”
“If you can begin to see that your thoughts are not the real thing — they’re just thoughts, and as thoughts they can’t hurt you — your entire life will begin to change today. I have witnessed many times this very same realization transform someone from a life of fear and depression into a life of happiness.”
“…when you let go of your expectations, when you accept life as it is, you’re free. To hold on is to be serious and uptight. To let go is to lighten up.”
“The next time you have the chance to correct someone, even if their facts are a little off, resist the temptation. Instead, ask yourself, “What do I really want out of this interaction?” Chances are, what you want is a peaceful interaction where all parties leave feeling good. Each time you resist ‘being right,’ and instead choose kindness, you’ll notice a peaceful feeling within.”
“The sooner we accept the inevitable dilemma of not being able to win the approval of everyone we meet, the easier our lives will become.”
“Find your true path. It’s so easy to become someone we don’t want to be, without even realizing it’s happening. We are created by the choices we make every day. And if we take action in order to please some authority figure, we’ll suddenly wake up down the road and say, “This isn’t me. I never wanted to be this person.”
“True happiness comes not when we get rid of all of our problems, but when we change our relationship to them, when we see our problems as a potential source of awakening, opportunities to practice, and to learn.”
This selection is from online resources in the public domain.
