Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and It's All Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things From Taking Over Your Life

by Richard Carlson

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and it's all small stuff is a book that shows you how to keep from letting the little things in life drive you crazy. In thoughtful and insightful language, author Richard Carlson reveals ways to calm down in the midst of your incredibly hurried, stress-filled life. You can learn to put things in perspective by making the small daily changes he suggests,including advice such as "Think of your problems as potential teachers"; "Remember that when you die, your 'In' box won't be empty"; and "Do one thing at a time." You should also try to live in the present moment, let others have the glory at times, and lower your tolerance to stress. You can write down your most stubborn positions and see if you can soften them, learn to trust your intuitions, and live each day as if it might be your last. With gentle, supportive suggestions, Dr.Carlson reveals ways to make your actions more peaceful and caring, with the added benefit of making your life more calm and stress-free.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Personal Development, Philosophy, Inspirational, Business

248 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 16, 1997

About the author

Richard Carlson, Ph.D, was born and raised in the Bay Area. He grew up in Piedmont and received his bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University and his doctorate in psychology from Sierra University before opening a private psychotherapy practice.

During his life, he was considered one of the foremost experts in happiness and stress reduction in the United States and around the world and was a frequent featured guest on such shows as Oprah, The Today Show, The View, NNC, CNN, Fox, PBS, and more than 200 other shows. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff continued to be a publishing phenomenon with more than 20 titles in the brand franchise, two of which were co-authored and authored with his beloved wife, Kris.

The words "don't sweat the small stuff" have become a part of American culture thanks to Richard Carlson's book, which became a runaway bestseller and made publishing history as the #1 best-selling book in the United States for two consecutive years. The book spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times Best-Seller list and is still considered one of the fastest selling books of all time and has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.

In December 2006, Carlson died of a pulmonary embolism during a flight from San Francisco to New York, while on a promotion tour for his book Don’t Get Scrooged: How to Thrive in a World Full of Obnoxious, Incompetent, Arrogant and Downright Mean-Spirited People.

Reviews

[Danielle The Book Huntress *Pluto is a Planet!* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not much of a self-help reader (occasionally I will read a Christian living/theology book but that's really it), but I recommend this book to everyone. There are some real pearls of wisdom therein (if you will pardon the cliche'). I definitely believe some of these strategies are intuitive, that you probably utilize some as survival mechanisms in your daily routine, just to get through the day and dealing with others. But it never hurts to get a gentle reminder. My recommendation is to keep this book at work in your drawer, or in your tote bag. Pull it out when you need a few minutes to recharge your juices. You will find yourself putting some of these tips to use right away. As a shy, conflict-avoiding person who went into a field where I have to deal with people (often difficult and often stressed and not always pleasant) everyday, I think anyone who has to be around and communicate with others heavily can use these skills in this book.

What I really like about this book is how easy it is to read. Although Dr. Carlson is a PhD, he doesn't write in such a way to sound more scholarly and less down to earth. And this book is fairly inexpensive. I got it for $9 at Barnes and Noble. I'm sure you can find it even cheaper if you tried. I believe his goal really is to help. He uses a friendly, conversation writing style that is very down to earth and concise (He sorts of reminds me of Christian writer Max Lucado in that sense). Each chapter is no more than three pages at the most, but so much good information is included, plus personal examples of how the strategy was used by the author. Nothing like seeing that the writer struggles in the same ways as the rest of us.

Update One:This week, I had one of those Mondays you really don't want to have. I pulled this book out of my tote and started reading it. It helped me to feel better because it really does put things into perspective. We make big deals out of stuff that we really shouldn't. We make our lives into soap operas when they don't have to be. Why? It's such a waste of energy that we could be using to fuel our daily lives in better, more productive ways. With a fringe benefit of leaving us plenty of energy to be content and enjoy our lives. Dr. Carlson really gets to the heart of that in this book.

At the time of update one, I was still reading this book. I started this review before I finished the book, in order to get some of my thoughts down (before they fly out of my head).

Some lessons from this book that I applied to my life this week:

-Don't sweat the small stuff (the titular lesson--which bears repeating as a daily mantra)
-Develop your compassion
-Remind yourself that when you die, your 'in basket' won't be empty
-Choose your battles wisely
-Become a better listener
-Choose being kind over being right
-Practice humility

Final update:

What a rewarding reading experience. This is the one self-help book you really should read. It doesn't matter if you're religious, atheist, whatever. You can gain some wonderful insight from this book. At the final reading, I could see how the advice in this book would have helped me in a challenge I faced a day or so before. It still helps on the other end, giving me the insight to look at things from a more healthy viewpoint. Stress kills, and I have come to the realization that I don't want to die from stress-related health problems, which I could be on the fast track to doing if I don't change my outlook.
This book helped me today. I had to deal with a person that I did not have a good experience with the first time around. The advice this book gave me about listening to someone and what that person is truly saying, and trying not to interrupt, and trying to see the 'innocence' in them, well it was simply invaluable. I promise, I am not the type to hype self-help books! But I can't help but praise this one.
Some of the powerful things I read about today:

-Turn Your Melodrama into a Mellow-drama
-Practice Ignoring Your Negative Thoughts
-Be Happy Where You Are
-Quiet the Mind
-Think of Your Problem as Potential Teachers
-Get Comfortable Not Knowing
-Acknowledge the Totality of Your Being
-Cut Yourself Some Slack
-Stop Blaming Others
-Transform Your Relationship to Your Problems
-The Next Time You Find Yourself in an Argument, Rather than Defend Your Position, See if You Can See the Other Point of View First
-Listen to Your Feelings (They Are Trying to Tell You Something)
-Redefine a "Meaningful Accomplishment"
-If Someone Throws You the Ball, You Don't Have to Catch It
-One More Passing Show
-Realize the Power of Your Own Thoughts
and a very good lesson for me.... Trust Your Instinctive Heart!

I am so glad I bought this book. It will not be one that I shove to the back of my bookshelf, to pull out rarely, if ever. It's going to be one that I carry around with me as I walk through life. It won't replace the Bible for me. It's not that kind of book. But whatever your belief is, it never hurts to put things into perspective. And that is the simple message of this book. You can learn to realize that the small stuff isn't worth all the drama, and in the sum of things it's all small stuff, as the title says.

[Mohammed Alsaleh · Rating 5 out of 5]

قبل سنوات طويلة ..

وقع هذا الكتاب بين يدي مصادفة .. لم أكن أعلم بان هذا الكتاب سيكون له أثر كبير في حياتي وقتها !
لا تهتم بصغائر الأمور .. لريتشارد كارلسون .. هو من أكثر الكتب مبيعاً في العالم .. لكنه بحق من أكثر الكتب تأثيراً في النفوس في العالم !
كثيرة هي الأمور حولنا .. نكبرها ونضعها في القمة ونحجمها بغير حجمها .. هذا الكتاب باختصار يضع الأمور في نصابها ويريك كيف أننا بحق نكبر شئوناً خاصة بنا هي في الأساس من الثانويات إلا لم تكن أقل درجة كذلك ..

أنصحك بقراءة الكتاب بشدة .. يستحق ست نجوم لا خمسة فقط :)

[Sarah Samir · Rating 5 out of 5]

قال ألفريد دي سوازا " لقد ظللت اعتقد لوقت طويل ان الحياه الحقيقية لم تبدأ بعد ولكن كان لا يزال هناك بعض العوائق التي يجب تخطيها اولا كعمل لم اكمله مثلا او وقت لا يزال في حاجه لقضائه او دين يجب ان ادفعه بعد هذا كله يمكن ان تبدأ الحياه الحقيقية وفي النهاية ادركت ان كل هذه العوائق ما هي الا حياتي نفسها "

هذا الكتاب هو ختام هذا العام .. من الممكن القول أنه افضل ختام .. جرعة أمل ودفعه للأمام من الممكن ان تكون سبب في تغييرات كثيرة في العام الجديد بإذن الله

اسلوب الكاتب اكتر من الرائع بالطبع كانت النسخه مترجمه ولكن المحتوي لا يوجد عليه خلاف
كتاب يعيد ترتيب الكثير من صغائر الأمور التي تدمر حياتنا بدون ان نشعر

احببت الكتاب بكل كلمه موجودة به
يتكون من 100 استراتيجيه مختلفه للعديد من صغائر الأمور التي تحتاج منا لإعادة النظر من جديد في الكثير والكثير مما يأخد كل وقتنا دون رحمة وبرضانا ايضا

كنت اتمني ان استطيع ذكر كل نقطه في الكتاب ولكن ذلك بالطبع سيأخذ صفحات كثيرة والأفضل قراءة الكتاب نفسه بنقاطه كلها وشرحها المختصر حيث ان الكتاب لم يكمل المائة صفحة فيتحدث عن المفيد فقط بدون ملل .. كتاب يستحق الإقتناء والرجوع له من وقت لآخر
واتمني ان اقتنيه بالفعل واتخذه مادة جيدة للقراءة دائما وأخذ الكثير من الملاحظات شئ ضروري وهو ما لم أفعله للأسف ولكن لي معه موعد آخر لوضع ملاحظات اكثر

يستحق أكثر من 5 نجوم بكثير

[Kelly H. (Maybedog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so it's not "cool" to read self-help books and, frankly, most of them give me the heebie jeebies, but I think this book was kind of spot-on. I liked how the ideas were presented in small vignettes instead of a massive tome that overwhelms more than inspires. I think Carlson has a good point in suggesting that maybe we make a big deal out of things that aren't such a big deal. I'm a pretty easy going person for the most part (oh, except for that depression thing) and a lot of what he says reflects my own philosophy. There were even a few new suggestions that I thought were helpful.

In general, this is a book for someone who's a little too uptight, a little too stressed, and a little too much of a worrier.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was on the nightstand in a friend's guest room where I stayed recently - its natural habitat, I suppose; where else would you expect to find a book like this?

I read it over breakfast and it offers a bunch of tips on cultivating acceptance and loving kindness:

-Imagine an irritating person as a tiny infant and then as a 100-year-old (OK, this made me tear up);
-When someone criticizes you, start by agreeing with them (valuable skill!);
-Nurture a plant - talk to the plant, tell it you love it (I thought about the lavender struggling for life on my kitchen windowsill and promised it that I would do better?)

There's a fair number of vaguely condescending and obnoxious parables from the author's own life, and I'll be disregarding his repeated suggestion to wake up at 430am to write and meditate (glad it works for you, though, buddy!)

If you've been to a yoga class or flirted with meditation, a lot of this will probably sound familiar or maybe even be second nature to you already, but it's a nice book and I felt a little more loving and kind after reading it.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is some great advice in this book. It's very fitting that the author ends the book by telling you to live each day as if it was your last, because he himself died unexpectedly during a flight from San Francisco to New York in 2006. He was only 45 years old. Life truly is short. None of us knows when it will end, so we need to cherish it. In this and many other pieces of advice, I couldn't agree with the author more.

There is a fair amount of repetition in this book, which at first was annoying, until I realized he was repeating what he likely considered the most important lessons. And I agree that they're important. Still somewhat annoying, but understandable. There was also one chapter I didn't appreciate where he brought religion into the picture: "learn to recognize God's fingerprints on everything", or something to that effect. In my opinion religion has no place in content that is otherwise based in science.

Some of the advice also didn't apply to me, and it may not apply to you either. In addition, many of his real-life examples are only relatable to certain people, and so I didn't relate to them. I also found that a lot of the information was basic common sense, so I knew it already and therefore it didn't add a ton of value.

Criticisms aside, this is a book worth reading. Did it change my life? No. Well, maybe. Let's see. I'm going to implement as many of the great lessons and tips here into my life as I can. In time, this book may indeed change my life.

Recommended!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sounds dramatic but this book has been life changing for me in how I approach life. How had I never read this!!! Not only have I read it twice, I took detailed notes and bought the audio book so I have it playing in my car on repeat. I am someone who has always had bad anxiety and it's helped me tremendously, but the real value and difference comes in constantly reinforcing and reminding myself these lessons every single day otherwise I just go back into my old habits.

[Sully (sully.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

STRESSED?

Once I get over pressured, the second thing I always do is to read this book(of course the first and foremost is to pray).

When we are pressured and stressed, we waste our time minding the tinsy minsy stuff in this world instead of fixing and turning our faces into what really pushes us into the edge.
This inspiring book tells us literally NOT TO SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF and to stop the things that slow our progress in attaining a life free from stress.

In the struggle of attaining freedom from stress, it is hard to accept that those we're feeling are training us to become something bigger and stronger.
And because of this book, I think that is how life works.
We have to remind ourselves to go with the flow and not to break in those difficult times. Fighting the pressure is often what pushes us to the edge.

This book tells us to look optimistically at things and more importantly...stress. haha!

Lastly, the book opens up the true purpose of life beneath our trials and struggle.
And that we should value EVERY PIECE of our life :)

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept of this book is an admirable one: how to relieve stress in your life and achieve a higher level of inner peace. However, while reading this book I found myself becoming more stressed out! This book is set up as essentially a list (YES! Another list!) of different methods and techniques that you can use to try and relieve stress from your life. As I am reading the list of different ideas, they make sense, but I feel as though this book was throwing too much at me for any of it to really sink in. It would have been much better if Dr. Carlson had taken a few ideas and gone more in depth with them, as opposed to a very brief overview. If you're truly stressed out and looking to relieve a little bit of it, I would not recommend turning to this book for guidance.

[فـي قبضتــه السحــاب !!؟ · Rating 3 out of 5]

تقديمي
-------
 الكتاب مختصر كل الحكاية في عنوانه
ومكتوب عليه من اكثر الكتب مبيعا في العالم :)
اسلوب بسيط ومختصر وممتع غير حجم الكتاب لذيذ
  
فكرة الكتاب
-----------
 بإختصار هو عبارة عن استعراض لسلوكيات واخلاقيات هي في الحقيقة امرنا بها دينا وتعلمناها منه قبل ان نقرا هذا الكتاب.. ولكن من يطبق
  
 فقرات من الكتاب
----------------
 بكتفي بفقرة وحده ذكر فيها المؤلف انه تعرض لموقف بعد نشرة لهذا الكتاب بعد ان اتصل به ناشر اجنبي وطلب منه ان يحصل على كلمة تزكية من الكاتب الشهير (د. واين داير) حتى تكتب على الطبعه المترجمة لاحد كتبه السابقة يقول فأجبته ان الدكتور واين سبق ان كتب لي تزكية لكتاب سابق لي ولا ادري عن احتمال قيامه بذلك مره اخرى وعلى كل حال سوف احاول وقمت بارسال طلبي الا اني لم اتلقى اجابة فاعتقدت انه اما مشغول او لا يرغب في كتابة تزكية واحترمت قراره واخبرت الناشر اننا لم نتمكن من الحصول على مبتغانا واعتبرت هذا نهاية الموضوع وبعد سته اشهر تلقيت نسخة من كتابي وفوجئت بكلمة التزكية للدكتور واين لكتابي السابق وقد كتبت على الغلاف فاصابني قلق وضيق من تداعيات ما حدث واتصلت بوكيلي وطلبت منه سحب النسخه من السوق وارسلت للدكتور واين اعتذر له واوضح له الموقف فكان رده (ريتشارد هناك قاعدتان للعيش في انسجام مع الاخرين 1_ لا تقلق بشأن صغائر الأمور 2_ كل الأمور صغائر. فلتطبق هذه المقوله بكل حب

[Steve Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snippets of good behavioral advice that anyone can accept....but putting them into practice? Like so many books of the "self help" variety, all good stuff however people who are strongly locked into behaving in ways that are contrary to the direction being proposed here might find this book and so many others like it, just another stick to beat themselves with for not being OK. The kinds of change that are required of people to have the behavioral changes described here take root are trans formative, that normally requires change at depth through long and arduous spiritual work. This doesn't beg the value of the advice given just the presumption that a quick read and an "uh huh" will bring about the changes necessary to alter habitual behavior.

Books offering quick fix paths to happiness are often delusional in their intent, if not in their content. In this case some good stuff, particularly if it were to encourage some self examination at depth...and support the work that might flow from it.

[Hussain Hamadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

لا تهتم بصغائر الأمور فكل الأمور صغائر
.
دكتور ريتشارد كارلسون
ترجمة مكتبة جرير
نوع الكتاب: تنمية ذاتية
عدد الصفحات : 322
.
المراجعة:
.
الضغوط النفسية هي الآفة التي ما أن تبدأ معك حتى تتحول حياتك إلى معاناة دائمة ولن تستطيع التخلص من تلك الضغوط النفسية والاضطرابات الا بمحاولة تجاهلها حتى يصبح لديك متسع من الوقت لتصب إهتمامك على الأمور الإيجابية وهنا يجب أن تحول الأمور الكبيرة إلى أشياء صغيرة جداً ومن هذا المنطلق يوجهنا الدكتور ريتشارد كارلسون الى تبني 100 قاعدة نحو ذلك قد تجد أغلبها بديهي أو يندرج تحت المبالغة والمثالية إلا أن هناك أيضاً بعض التقنيات التي قد تبدو لك جديدة ومفيدة ايضاً وكلها فقط لتقوم بتبني فكرة أن لا تهتم بصغائر الأمور فكل الأمور صغائر.
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التقييم:
.
أعتمد الدكتور ريتشارد الى بعض التقنيات التي سبق وذكرت في كُتب التنم��ة الذاتية واذكر منها كتاب العادات السبع للناس الاكثر فعالية للدكتور ستيفن ر. كوفي وبعض اقتباسات للام تريزا.
الكتاب خفيف وسلس رغم عدد صفحاته وهو ما يشجع بعض القراء اللذين سئموا من العبارات الرنانة لتقنيات التنمية البشرية.
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أمضيت تجربة جيدة مع الكتاب ودونت منه بعض التقنيات التي وجدتها جديدة او مثيرة لاقوم بتجربتها. وعليه أمنح الكتاب 3/5 .
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أنصح به للمهتمين بكتب التنمية البشرية واللذين لا يجدوا لديهم ذلك الشغف بالقراءة الدسمة لتلك المواضيع.
.
#لا_تهتم_بصغائر_الأمور_فكل_الأمور_صغائر

[Enas Ahmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

بداية انا قرأت الكتاب بالانجلش بس هكتب الريفيو بالعربي لعله يجذب حد من المتابعين انه يقرأه و خصوصا ان فيه نسخه عربي حسب الموقع هنا

هو انا سمعت الكتاب و قرأته سريعا و ده اللي خلاني اخلصه في يوم واحد
الكتاب حلو ، فيه نصايح لطيفه .. موجه للفئه من امثالي :"محبي الكمال" اللي بيتعبوا نفسيا و عصبيا لو فيه حاجة ما حصلتش زي ما هما مخططين بالضبط
الكتاب لطيف بجد و عملي جو حلو

و ده اللي خلاني انقص منه نجمتين للأسف : كتب زي دي بتديك مسكن .. حبة كلام حلو يسكنلك شويةالمشاكل اللي عندك من غير تقنيات فعليه لتغيير وجهة نظرك و نظارتك اللي بتشوف بيها الأمور
جايز انا قرأت الكتاب بسرعه و ما اخدتش نوتس منه ، و ده اللي خلاني اقرر اني اقرأ الكتاب تاني
اما عن التقنيات فالكتاب استخدم معظم الوقت حاجة وحيده و هي الـ : الاسئله .. الاسئله اداه كويسة و قوية جدا بس محتاجين تنوع معاها
و للاسف حسيت في بعض الاوقات بان الكتاب محتواه يدعو الي انك تكون سلبي ..زي ما تيمون و بومبا بيقولوا : لما الدنيا تديك ظهرها .. ادي ظهرك للدنيااااا
بس الحقيقة انا مش مؤمنة بالمبدأ ده .. انا بستميت في القتال تجاه ما اؤمن به .. و جايز دي المشكله و محتاجه اشتغل عليها
who knows ..
الخلاصه هقرأه تاني في وقت اكون متوتره او تحت ضغط باذن الله
و هبدأ في تنفيذ بعض النصائح من دلوقتي باذن الله :)

[Kaethe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like so many books for self-help, there's a huge disconnect between the ease of stating the philosophy, and the ease of implementing it. Besides the huge disconnect between the imagined problem being solved and the real problems most people face.

[Thekra AH · Rating 3 out of 5]

كنت متحمسة لهذا الكتاب أولاً لسهولة حمله - مع أن عدد صفحاته كثير نوعاً ما - وقرائته خارج المنزل وثانياً لوصاية الدكتور طارق السويدان بقرائته

في المجمل أعجبني الكتاب وكثير من محتوياته هي أخلاق إسلامية بحتة وأعمال أوصانا الإسلام بها من شأنها تحسين الحياة الشخصية والاجتماعية وخلق التوازن حتى ظننت أن المؤلف مسلم

يركز الكاتب في أكثر من موضع على الهدوء والتحلي بالسلام الداخلي والطمأنينة والرضا والقناعة حتى في أحلك الظروف والنظر لكثير من الأمور بالبراءة أو كما نقول ( التطنيش ) وتقبل الوضع الحالي

مما أعيبه في الكتاب التكرار الممل لبعض المواضيع والأفكار وعدم شد القارئ بمواضيع أقل وتأثير أكبر يجعله يعيد قراءة الكتاب مرة أخرى

عموماً كتاب جميل وجيد

[Connie · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know why I hated it? Because IT'S ALL COMMON SENSE, and I paid money to read what I already know and tell other people.

Missed out on my opportunity to make money writing it myself I guess.

[كِـنزة بلقـاسم · Rating 3 out of 5]

100 مقال عن قواعد الحياة
تعلمنا أغلبها من نبينا عليه الصلاة والسلام
فكرة الكتاب تشبه فكرة كتاب "نظرية الفستق' بشكل كبير

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

My mom read this a long time ago and gave it to me as a gift insisting that I read it.

Overall, the book is an easy read filled with wisdom and advice that is generally good to hear, but it is essentially a repackaging of Buddhist philosophy applied to a 1990s white American middle/upper class suburban setting lol.

There are a fair number of vaguely condescending and bizarre commentary and parables from the author himself. One example: he blames "the culture of blaming others" (kind of ironic lol) for leading to "ridiculous excuses that get criminals off the hook" (lions, bears, rising crime rates, oh my!). He dedicates a whole chapter actually titled, "Adopt a Child Through the Mail" that basically says, "you too can be happy, fulfilled, and be reminded of your privilege by 'adopting' a child from a random 'third-world' country! WOW!" "See! Life's not bad! At least you're not a poor and helpless starving child that needs your saving!" This is an actual line from that chapter, "My six-year old has an adoptee, and has enjoyed and learned from the experience a great deal ... I think that the reason we enjoy this type of giving so much is that it's interactive." (bolded is my emphasis) LMAO. Yeah ok, buddy. Tell us you're a white savior without telling us a white savior. At multiple points, he preaches the importance of not being judgmental by continuing to neurotically bring up the example of the "punk rockers" who change their hair color *gasp* Sounds like you're sweating the small stuff, buddy ... let it go! He also repeatedly advises to wake up at 3am/4am to have personal time even if it means sacrificing sleep. Weird advice for a book that preaches mindfulness and listening to your own body and its needs. Buddy, do you sleep at 7pm (how else do you get 7-8 hours)?? Or are you constantly sleep deprived?? Glad it works for you though, friend!

This book could also have been legitimately 75% shorter. There are multiple instances where the author repeats and regurgitates the same advice in different words.

Example 1 aka stop talking over people!
Ch 7 - Don't Interrupt Others or Finish Their Sentences
Ch 28 - Seek First to Understand
Ch 29 - Become a Better Listener
Ch 55 - Breathe Before You Speak

Example 2 aka don't brag about how benevolent you are!
Ch 8 - Do Something Nice for Someone Else--and Don't Tell Anyone About It
Ch 9 - Let Others Have the Glory
Ch 12 - Let Others Be "Right" Most of the Time
Ch 34 - Practice Random Acts of Kindness
Ch 73 - Make Service an Integral Part of Your Life
Ch 74 - Do a Favor and Don't Ask For, or Expect, One in Return

Example 3 aka none of this will matter because we are all gonna die!
Ch 6 - Remind Yourself that When You Die, Your 'In Basket' Won't Be Empty
Ch 16 - Ask Yourself the Question, "Will This Matter a Year from Now?"
Ch 21 - Imagine Yourself at Your Own Funeral
Ch 82 - Remember, One Hundred Years from Now, All New People
Ch 90 - One More Passing Show
Ch 100 - Live This Day as if It Were Your Last. It Might Be!

Example 4 aka here are stressful to-do lists!
Ch 20 - Once a Week, Write a Heartfelt Letter
Ch 24 - Spend a Moment Every Day Thinking of Someone to Thank
Ch 25 - Smile at Strangers, Look into Their Eyes, and Say Hello
Ch 38 - Tell Three People (Today) How Much You Love Them
Ch 42 - Spend a Moment, Every Day, Thinking of Someone to Love
Ch 46 - Every Day, Tell at Least One Person Something You Like, Admire, or Appreciate about Them

Example 5 aka random platitudes that all kind of end up blending together!
Ch 5 - Develop Your Compassion
Ch 10 - Learn to Live in the Present Moment
Ch 13 - Become More Patient
Ch 18 - Allow Yourself to Be Bored
Ch 30 - Choose Your Battles Wisely
Ch 32 - Life Is a Test. It is Only a Test
Ch 39 - Practice Humility
Ch 58 - Relax (lol)
Ch 60 - Turn Your Melodrama into a Mellow-Drama
Ch 62 - Do One Thing at a Time
Ch 63 - Count to Ten
Ch 69 - Be Happy Where You Are
Ch 71 - Quiet the Mind
Ch 72 - Take Up Yoga
Ch 83 - Lighten Up
Ch 84 - Nurture a Plant
Ch 91 - Fill Your Life with Love
Ch 92 - Realize the Power of Your Own Thoughts
Ch 95 - Trust Your Intuitive Heart
Ch 96 - Be Open to "What Is"
Ch 97 - Mind your Own Business
Ch 98 - Look for the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

My advice: skip this and go to the source material from which this book takes -- Buddhist philosophy. There are also significantly better self-help books out there.

Only reason that this is 1.5 stars is for the wording of the advice, "Don't sweat the small stuff." It's a good reminder! Also, I had too much fun writing this review lmao.

[Salman · Rating 5 out of 5]

العديد من استراتيجيات الكاتب مقتبسة من دينا الاسلامي وهذا إن دل فإنه يدل على روعة هذا الدين وأنه مناسب لكل زمان ومكان حتى الكفار يؤلفون كتبهم نقلا من مفاهيم الاسلام فايننا منه!!??
1.الكثيرون يستنفذون قدرا ضخما من طاقاتهم في القلق بشأن صغائر الأمور حتى أنهم يبتعدون عن سحر وجمال الحياة.
2.عندما تلتزم بالعمل على تحقيق هذا الهدف فسوف تجد أن لديك طاقه أكبر بكثير كي تصبح إنسانا أكثر رقه وعطفا.
3.كلما انغمست في تفاصيل ما يضايقك كلما ازداد شعورك سوءا.
4.الشفقه تنمي شعورنا بالعرفان بالجميل- وبالمثال يتضح المقال اذا كنت مريضا فانظر لمن هو اشد منك مرضا واذا كنت فقيرا فانظر لمن هو اشد منك فقرا وهكذا.
5.قبل أن تبدأ في الحديث مع الأخرين يجب أن تتحلى بالصبر وأن تنتظر حتى يفرغ الغير من الحديث.
6.يجب على الشخص ان يعطي من أجل العطاء لا ان يحصل على شئ في مقابله وهذا ما تفعله عندما لا تفصح عن عطفك للآخرين.
7.ان هناك شيئا سحريا يقع لروح الانسان حيث يتملكك شعور بالطمأنينة عندما تكف عن الأحتياج لكل الإنتباه الذي تحاط به تاركا بدلا عن ذلك الشعور بالمجد للاخرين.
8.يجب ان تتخيل ان من حولك أفضل منك بدرجات المعرفة والإستنارة وان جميع من سيقابلونك سيعلمونك شيئا.
9.يتوقف قدر ما تملك من صبر بدرجة كبيرة على هدفك.
10.لا داعي للقلق إذا لم تحقق كل ما تصبوا إليه ولكنك عندما تتمتع بذهن صاف وهادئ وعندما يكون مستوى توترك منخفضا فإنك ستكون أكثر نشاطا وتستمتع اكثر بأداء واجبك.
11.خصص لحظات كل يوم للتفكير في شخص يستحق منك توجيه الشكر إليه- وهذا مصداقا للحديث الشريف من لايشكر الناس لايشكر الله.
12. هل فكرت في مدى التأثير الذي يمكن أن يتركه تبسمنا في وجه الغرباء والترحيب بهم.
13.إن المزاج المتعكر لايعد الوقت المناسب لتحليل حياتك وفعلك لذلك بمثابة انتحار عاطفي.
14.الإستماع الفعال ليس مجرد عدم مقاطعة الأخرين بل هو أن تستمع برضا للأخرين.
15.مارس أعمال الخير دون مقابل والأعمال الجميله دون من.

[Venkataraman Sambasiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that could change the readers' behavior for the better.

The history of the book itself reveals how the author is ever ready to learn from the day-to-day happenings of life. He got the idea of the title 'Don't sweat the Small Stuff' from Dr. Wayne W. Dyer in the course of business correspondence; and he has developed it as a valuable book for all.

There are one hundred maxims in the book, all of which deserve serious consideration. For the benefit of my readers, I shall list ten of them that belong to the first class.

1. Don't sweat the small stuff.
2. Let go the idea that gentle, relaxed people can't be super achievers.
3. Don't interrupt others or finish their sentences.
4. Learn to live in the present moment.
5. Become a better listener.
6. Choose your battles wisely.
7. Remember that everything has God's fingerprints on it.
8. Practice ignoring your negative thoughts.
9. Take up Yoga.
10.Mind your own business.

This book would certainly help anybody to gain a more realistic and relaxed attitude toward life in general.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book that I read one time and never looked back at. This has become a guidebook for living my entire life. This book related so deeply with me and opened my eyes to simple ways I can lean into the joy of my life on a daily basis. LOVE THIS BOOK.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually appreciated more than I thought I would. Most things I knew or thought I did. The gentle reminders are great to meditate on. This is all about getting yourself to a better, happier place. As someone who suffers from anxiety, I can use it. There are interest tips here that are simply a mind-shift that brings happiness or a bit less stress into our lives. I loved most of them. Some did nothing for me but that is to be expected. Others felt redundant to some already given. A worthwhile read.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was shocked at how wonderful this book is. I expected it to be really hokey and lame, but it was genuinely very helpful. I have incorporated many of the ideas into my daily life and they help me keep my anxiety under control. I'm pretty baffled that its so insanely mindful and helpful. A++.

[Morgan Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compilation of 100 different anxiety-related tips. There were definitely some pearls of wisdom, but as a “people pleaser”, I thought some of the tips were counter-productive to that (sometimes a girls got to stick up for herself, ya-know?).

This is a late entry, but I’m finally going back and adding these books to my GRs!

I finished this book as part of a “book boot camp” challenge! See my full video review below ❤️📚

I Read 7 Best-Selling Books on Anxiety and had this *breakthrough* with my panic disorder... https://youtu.be/Uv69N6O9Cgo

[Cham Cuartero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever felt like the whole world has turned its back on you? Lost your job, got buried in debt, drifted away from your loved-ones?


Haven't we all?


Each of us go through trying times in our lives. I cannot remember a single person who can claim that he/she has never gone though tough times in his/her life. The problems that we face vary from one individual to another and the gravity of such depends on our varying priorities in life.


The past few months have been very challenging from me. A roller coaster ride of emotions I had to survive. Planning our wedding, adjusting to married life, managing our family finances, quitting my job... the list can be endless... There were several times when I feel like tearing all my hair out of frustration (Thank God I didn't!).


I believe there is no fool-proof formula to solving all of our problems. We cannot control the issues that come up, when they could come up, and when they would go away... There is only one thing that we can control - our ATTITUDE.


I borrowed a copy of this little book DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF by Richard Carlson from our HR Officer. I turned out that she doesn't own the book (Hehe!) and the book actually belongs to another one of our colleagues. I had to trade-in one of my own books for the meantime so that I can proceed with kidnapping the said book (Bwahaha!)


DON'T SWEAT contains 100 short essays on how we can handle the challenges that come to our lives. It is about having the right attitude which will eventually clear up our minds on formulating action plans to solve our problems in life. It tells about how to deal with the usual "downs" in our days.


I read the book one-essay-a-day. It sticks better that way. It's not the kind of book which you finish in one sitting. For the past 63 days of life, this has been my daily food for thought... my daily dose of relax-and-enjoy-life vitamins.

[Bitchin' Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad way to help me reground my perspective. I realized I had been slipping into negativity and feeling like every inconvenience, even the small ones, were a personal slight--the world was clearly out to get me. (Haha, jkjk.) I do recommend reading the physical book if you are going to read this one. The audiobook was nice since I commute long hours, but I think I would have enjoyed reading the physical book more. I would have been able to stop and contemplate more easily, whereas the the audiobook trudged on and driving-me could only keep going and not pause/stop it.

There is some great guidance here. Check it out. Very short, very direct, gets you thinking and into self reflection.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like a lot of the points in this book were common sense. At times it felt kind of repetitive, like the author was trying to find different ways of saying essentially the same thing he had already covered to hit the 100 pieces of advice mark. (Perhaps that was meant as an opportunity to practice patience.)

That said, a lot of the advice was solid (although I still won't be caught dead waking up at 4:30 every morning), and I think most readers will find at least a few suggestions that resonate with them and inspire them to be more compassionate and patient. I think Don't Sweat the Small Stuff would be most helpful to people who aren't very familiar with the world of self-help yet.

[Amal 88 · Rating 5 out of 5]

لطالما آمنت بأن المكتبة أشبه بصيدلية أجد فيها الشفاء ، في كتبها تكمن نزهة الروح ، والمكان الأحب إلى قلبي .. أردت حقا أن أتغير أن أعترف بعيوبي وأحاول إصلاحها أن أجعل للأفكار التي تعصف بعقلي طريقا إلى ��صرفاتي وإنعكاسا في شخصيتي .. أن أكون شخصا أفضل هذا كل ما أردت...
في بحثي المضني وقعت يدي على كتيبات صغيرة بسيطة واضحة في لغتها حقيقة لم أتوقع منها الكثير إلا أنها فاجئتني وكم أحب هذا النوع من الكتب ..
سهل التطبيق وعظيم الأثر والفائدة .. قرأتها بلذة لاتوصف وبدات بتجربتها في حياتي الحقيقة التغيير بحد ذاته جميل ولكنه يحتاج إلى صبر ومثابرة ومحاولة مرة بعد مرة ..لكن النتيجة تستحق ..

[Arakah Mushaweh · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب خفيف وفاصل جميل وإيجابي بين الكتب .. يستحق أن يكون دائماً في الحقيبة ، يُقرأ على دفعات
الجمال فيه أيضاً يناسبنا في كونه يدعم أفكار إسلامية بحتة كان المترجم ذكياً في تفسيرها إلى نصوص نبوية أو من الأثر الإسلامي ..
هذا الكتاب يناسب كثيراً أصحاب النفوس الحساسة الذين يدقّقون في التفاصيل بوعيهم أو بدون وعيهم ..

http://www.4shared.com/office/oAu5TVH...

[Stan · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a load of self serving egotistical crap. It is en vogue to say how wonderful this book is but I found it to be just the authors way of telling you how wonderful he is. Pity one star is the lowest.