41 Quotes from Richard Carlson Ph.D "Don't Sweat the small stuff"

I read this book many years ago and still refer back to it, "Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff". I love the story of how the title came to be based on a letter from Dr. Wayne Dryer and Dr Carlson wrote many other wonderful books and some of the quotes are below:

Something wonderful begins to happen with the simple realization that life, like an automobile, is driven from the inside out, not the other way around. As you focus more on becoming more peaceful with where you are, rather than focusing on where you would rather be, you begin to find peace right now, in the present. Then, as you move around, try new things, and meet new people, you carry that sense of inner peace with you. It's absolutely true that, "Wherever you go, there you are.”

“Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.”

“One of the mistakes many of us make is that we feel sorry for ourselves, or for others, thinking that life should be fair, or that someday it will be. It's not and it won't. When we make this mistake we tend to spend a lot of time wallowing and/or complaining about what's wrong with life. "It's not fair," we complain, not realizing that, perhaps, it was never intended to be.”

“Choose to be kind over being right and you'll be right every time.”

“The key to a good life is this: If you're not going to talk about something during the last hour of your life, then don't make it a top priority during your lifetime.”

“Effective listening is more than simply avoiding the bad habit of interrupting others while they are speaking or finishing their sentences. It's being content to listen to the entire thought of someone rather than waiting impatiently for your chance to respond.”

“Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff.”

“You are what you practice most.”

“If, however, you take a moment to observe how you actually feel immediately after you criticise someone, you'll notice that you will feel a little deflated and ashamed, almost like you're the one who has been attacked. The reason this is true is that when we criticise, it's a statement to the world and to ourselves, "I have a need to be critical." This isn't something we are usually proud to admit.”

“...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.”

“If we would just slow down, happiness would catch up to us.”

“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.”

“Choose being kind over being right and you'll be right every time.”

“Life is a process--just one thing after another. When you lose it, just start again.”

“Reading is a gift. It's something you can do almost anytime and anywhere. It can be a tremendous way to learn, relax, and even escape. So, enough about the virtues of reading. Time to read on.”

“Meanwhile, life keeps moving forward. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?”

“Even though we often mess up, most of us are doing the best that we know how with the circumstances that surround us.”

“One of the most dynamic and significant changes you can make in your life is to make the commitment to drop all negative references to your past, to begin living now.”

“Learning to stop sweating the small stuff involves deciding what things to engage in and what things to ignore. From a certain perspective, life can be described as a series of mistakes, one right after another with a little space in between.”

“Get Comfortable Not Knowing"

“Reflection is one of the most underused yet powerful tools for success.”

“The old adage, 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is' isn't always correct. In fact, the suspicion, cynicism, and doubt that are inherent in this belief can and does keep people from taking advantage of excellent opportunities.”

“Criticism, like swearing, is actually nothing more than a bad habit.”

“We deny the parts of ourselves that we deem unacceptable rather than accepting the fact that we're all less than perfect.”

“I’m merely talking about learning to be less bothered by the actions of people.”

“Your heart, the compassionate part of you, knows that it’s impossible to feel better at the expense of someone else.”

“Life didn't come with a fool-proof manual.”

“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.”

“we need to break the habit of overreacting because of our speedy assumption and judgments”

“When you take time , often to reflect on the miracle of life - the miracle that you are even able to read this book - the gift of sight ,of love and all the rest , it can hep to remind you that many of the things that you think as "big stuff" are really just "small stuff" that you are turning into big tuff”

The need to be right stems from an unhealthy relationship to your own thoughts. Do you believe your thoughts are representative of reality and need to be defended, or do you realize that realities are seen through different eyes? Your answer to this question will determine, to a large extent, your ability to remain in a positive feeling state

Every day, tell at least one person something you like, admire, or appreciate about them.”

“as you begin to eliminate your need for perfection in all areas of your life, you'll begin to discover the perfection in life itself”

“If we could only live the way we know deep down we should, we would guarantee ourselves a life of richness & fulfillment.”

“Try to maintain the perspective that, in time, everything disintegrates and returns to its initial form.

There are two rules for living in harmony. #1) Don’t sweat the small stuff and #2) It’s all small”

mistakes are really not that big of a deal. in fact , as most of us acknowledge we need to make mistakes in order to learn and grow

To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are—always!”

Happiness is a state of mind, not a set of circumstances.”

Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are—always!”

“Change the things that can be changed, accept those that cannot, and have the wisdom to know the difference.”