Book Summary Preview :
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff . . . and it’s all small stuff

The Big Idea

The co-author of “Handbook for the Soul” offers 100 simple but powerful strategies for bringing harmony and peace of mind into individual life. The strategies allow for changes in paradigm and changes in practice -- changes that can lead to a more relaxed and more satisfying life.

Introduction

Habitual reactions to problems, adversities, and other challenges in life may actually be counter-productive. By learning to reduce your stress level by remaining calm, you could actually increase your productivity and your potential for a happier life.

Chapter 1: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

You could be wasting much of your energy on matters that are not really important. If you can let go of these less consequential concerns, you can have more energy to enjoy life.

Chapter 2: Make Peace with Imperfection

Your need to have the world absolutely perfect can be a result of your too much attention on the ways in which the world isn’t. Your insistence on perfection then becomes the cause of your own discontent, your own frustration.

Chapter 3: Let Go of the Idea that Gentle, Relaxed People Can’t Be Superachievers

Perhaps you believe that if you were to become less stressed and less pressured, you will become lazy and therefore achieve less. Just the opposite is true. A more relaxed individual is more creative, more motivated, and is able to accomplish more.

Chapter 4: Be Aware of the Snowball Effect of Your Thinking

Perhaps you have thoughts that build upon themselves, multiplying quickly, agitating you, and causing your emotions to go from bad to worse. By stopping these thoughts before they multiply, you can avoid adding them and their effects to your problems.

Chapter 5: Develop Your Compassion

Compassion facilitates the adoption of a more positive perspective on life. Compassion can be developed with practice. Compassion, however, cannot stop at intention. Compassion must continue on to action.

Chapter 6: Remind Yourself that When You Die, Your “In Basket” Won’t Be Empty

There is more to life than making sure that every item on your to-do list is accomplished. This achievement should not be the ultimate goal of your life.

Chapter 7: Don’t Interrupt Others or Finish Their Sentences

When you sit at the edge of your seat, waiting for an opportunity to interrupt the speaker and trying to anticipate the speaker’s next thought or words, you are working double-time --- on his message and yours. You are subjecting yourself and the speaker to pressure rather than allowing both of you to relax. You are depriving yourself of the opportunity to understand, learn from, and enjoy the conversation. . . . . . .