So I had the opportunity to read this really great book that my supervisor let me borrow. It's called "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... And It's All Small Stuff" by Richard Carlson. I would describe it as an inspirational book that will help you gain a better understanding of how to live a happier life. Why wouldn't you read this?!
It was a short and great read, and I recommend everyone pick up the book. I'm going to highlight some of the chapters and focuses that were really inspirational and can be helpful to anyone's daily life. Especially in our field, it can be difficult to let the small things go, as it seems there is so much to do. Often times, we are helping so many other people that we forget about ourselves. Here are some ways to be that better person:
"Change the things that can be changed, accept those that cannot, and have the wisdom to know the difference."
Make Peace with Imperfection: The need for perfection and the desire for inner tranquility conflict with each other. Rather than being content and grateful for what we have, we are focused on what's wrong with something and our need to fix it. The way someone/something looks, behaves, or lives their life, the very act of focusing on imperfection pulls us away from our goal of being kind and gentle.
Develop Your Compassion: Mother Teresa reminds us, "We cannot do great things on this earth. We can only do small things with great love." Compassion develops your sense of gratitude by taking your attention off all the little things that most of us have learned to take too seriously.
Imagine That Everyone is Enlightened Except You: Perhaps the obnoxious driver or disrespectful teenager are here to teach you about patience. Your job is to try to determine what the people in your life are trying to teach you. Everyone in your life is there for a reason, and even if they do not stay in your life, they could have been an influential teacher.
Let Others Be "Right" Most of the Time: Being right and defending our positions takes an enormous amount of energy and often alienates us from the people in our lives. Needing to be right (or needing someone else to be wrong) encourages others to become defensive.
Be the First One to Act Loving or Reach Out: So many of us hold on to little resentments that may have stemmed from an argument, a misunderstanding, the way we were raised, or some other painful event. Stubbornly, we wait for someone else to reach out to us, believing this is the only way we can forgive or rekindle a friendship or family relationship.
Surrender to the Fact That Life is Not Fair: One of the mistakes we make is that we feel sorry for ourselves, or for others, thinking that life should be fair or 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 or complaining about what's wrong with life, not taking time to fully live.
Once a Week, Write a Heartfelt Letter: Take a few minutes each week to write a heartfelt letter. Pick up a pen or begin typing helps you slow down long enough to remember the great people in your life. This helps to fill your life with gratitude.
Spend a Moment Every Day Thinking of Someone to Thank: Start your day thinking of someone to thank. The more genuinely grateful you feel for the gift of life, the more peaceful you will feel and be. Thank anyone, from friends and family to your clerk at the local grocery store.
Seek First to Understand: This implies that you become more interested in understanding others and less in having other people understand you. It means mastering the idea that if you want quality, fulfilling communication, others must come first.
Choose Your Battles Wisely: Life is filled with opportunities to choose between making a big deal out of something or simply letting it go, realizing that it doesn't really matter. If you choose your battles wisely, you'll be far more effective in winning those that are truly important.
Praise and Blame are All the Same: We often get angry, hurt, or frustrated when people reject our ideas, tell us no, or give us some other form of disapproval. The sooner we accept the fact that we will not be able to win the approval of everyone we meet, the easier our lives will become.
This is the first post. Be sure to check out later posts with some other great advice and info from this book!
SRB
