Don’t sweat the small stuff

Living like there’s no tomorrow is one thing.
Rushing is another.

Wise nuggets from Richard Carlson’s classic “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

1.   Live in the Now. When Dalai Lama won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1989, a reporter asked, “What’s next?”. Life isn’t a dress rehearsal for tomorrow. Life happens when you’re planning for The Next. Discipline your attention to the here and the now.

2.   Make peace with imperfection. Catch yourself in the habit of insisting that things should be in a certain way. Even in the absence of your judgment, things will be fine.

3.   Peace is not the antonym of hustle. Let go of the idea that gentle, relaxed people can’t be super achievers. When you have what you want (your inner peace), you’re less distracted by your wants.

4.   Life is not an ER room. Even when you die, there will still be unfinished business to take care of. Someone else may do it for you. Don’t press on getting it All Done by putting yourself on the line.

5.   Use the backburners. Not as an excuse for procrastination but to buy in time for analysis/ reflection/ rethink. To respond and not react. Also, you needn’t catch every ball thrown at you. Pick your battles.

6.   Lower your tolerance to stress. Stop yourself from building that mental snowball. Catch it early – when it’s small and before it builds momentum. The degree of stress you take is proportional to how much you allow upon yourself. The lower it is, the better your clarity and peace of mind for more effective, fun, and creative tasks.

7.   Be comfortable with yourself. Allow yourself to be Bored without being frightened at the thought of not having something to do next. Be comfortable with not knowing it all. With being unsure. Having low moods. Dealing with changed plans. Not being Okay.

What else would you add to this list?