Stress Less

I love my book, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and it's All Small Stuff," by Richard Carlson.  Funny that I picked the book out of a bin of other books a coworker was giving away.  This coworker was someone who would have really benefitted from cracking the book open, but it was probably given to her as a gift, and she felt she had no use for it.  Huh.  Weird how that works.

I, on the other hand, have used it a great deal.  I have really taken its messages to heart. It is chock full of useful advice to living more peacefully within yourself.  Of course, I am not claiming to have mastered "living peacefully within myself," but I do like to think I am on the right path, thanks to texts that lead the way.  We could all benefit from tips like:

• let go of the mindset that peaceful, mellow people can't be super-achievers
• lower your tolerance to stress, rather than raise it (your actual stress level will follow your tolerance to it!)
• allow the person you are talking with to finish what they are saying without interruption
• imagine that everyone around you are enlightened, and they are here to teach you important life lessons
• engage in small acts of service, rather than wait for the day where you can devote your life to it
• stop waiting to live, and quit revisiting the past.  Life is happening right now- so stay present!

Richard Carlson has the talent to make each of his little chapters accessible and attainable.  I recommend owning this book.  By taking his advice to heart, we can learn to accept ourselves and others "as is."  Thats probably one of life's more challenging lessons.