don't sweat the small stuff by richard carlson (1997)

Life is what’s happening while we’re busy making other plans.
- John Lennon

Ever had that feeling of creeping anxiety when you cannot quite put a finger at what is causing the inner tumult? Or when there are a hundred and one things pressing on your mind and you do not know where one thing begins and the other thing ends? Or when you find yourself in the middle of the day with five items on your checklist due yesterday?

I chanced upon this slim volume last weekend while waiting for my cousins at this bookstore-café. I was simply flabbergasted at how man-made complications of enormous proportions are rendered minute in this book. “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff” posits the theory that it’s all really the small stuff which are wearying us, making us all feel like the mythological Sisyphus who had to roll the stone up a slope day after day after day.

Richard Carlson offers 100 steps by which we can avoid the traps of these little squirmy things which slowly gnaw on our insides stopping us from being the happy, serene, loving, compassionate creatures that we are meant to be. Here’s 20 of the 100 in Carlson’s list:

1. Make peace with imperfection.
2. Let go of the idea that gentle, relaxed people, can’t be superachievers.
3. Be aware of the snowball effect of your thinking.
4. Develop your compassion.
5. Remind yourself that when you die, your “in basket” won’t be empty.
6. Become more patient.
7. Allow yourself to be bored.
8. Repeat to yourself, “life isn’t an emergency”.
9. Become aware of your moods and don’t allow yourself to be fooled by the low ones.
10. Practice random acts of kindness.
11. Practice humility.
12. Avoid weatherproofing.
13. Argue for your limitations, and they’re yours.
14. Become a less aggressive driver.
15. Do one thing at a time.
16. Be happy where you are.
17. Remember you become what you practice most.
18. Think of your problems as potential teachers.
19. Become an early riser.
20. One more passing show (It’s enormously helpful to experiment with the awareness that life is just one thing after another. One present moment followed by another present moment. When something is happening that we enjoy, know that while it’s wonderful to experience the happiness it brings, it will eventually be replaced by something else, a different type of moment. If that’s okay with you, you’ll feel peace even when the moment changes. And if you’re experiencing some type of pain or displeasure, know that this too shall pass. Keeping this awareness close to your heart is a wonderful way to maintain your perspective, even in the face of adversity. It’s not always easy, but it is usually helpful.)