Two kinds of people might be disappointed by this tape. Those who have already thought deeply about these issues are likely to be underwhelmed by advice such as "change what can be changed, and learn to accept what can't be changed." And those who expect a single cassette to transform their lives will find, not surprisingly, that Carlson is much better at saying what we should do than at explaining how we can do it. But he reads well, and for overtaxed people who don't expect a miracle cure, the message on this tape could be a small first step to a saner life. (Running time: 90 minutes, one cassette) --Richard Farr

Product Description

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and It's All Small Stuff is an audiobook that tells 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 into perspective by making the small daily changes Dr. Carlson suggests, including advice such as "Choose your battles wisely"; "Remind yourself that when you die, your 'in' box won't be empty"; and "Make peace with imperfection". With Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... you'll also learn how to:

* Live in the present moment
* Let others have the glory at times
* Lower your tolerance to stress
* Trust your intuitions
* Live each day as 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.

One of my favorite chapters is chapter six: REMIND YOURSELF THAT WHEN YOU DIE, YOUR "IN BASKET" WON'T BE EMPTY. I think the whole world should read this chapter! Here is an sample:

"SO MANY OF US LIVE OUR LIVES AS IF THE SECRET PURPOSE IS TO SOMEHOW GET EVERYTHING DONE....OFTEN WE CONVINCE OURSELVES THAT OUR OBSESSION WITH OUR "TO DO" LIST IS ONLY TEMPORARY--THAT ONCE WE GET THROUGHT THE LIST, WE'LL BE CALM, RELAXED AND HAPPY. BUT IN REALITY, THIS RARELY HAPPENS. AS ITEMS ARE CHECKED OFF, NEW ONES SIMPLY REPLACE THEM. THE NATURE OF YOUR "IN BASKET" IS THAT IT'S MEANT TO HAVE ITEMS TO BE COMPLETED IN IT--IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE EMPTY....REMEMBER THAT NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR OWN SENSE OF HAPPINESS AND INNER PEACE AND THAT OF YOUR LOVED ONES. IF YOU ARE OBSESSED WITH GETTING EVERYTHING DONE, YOU'LL NEVER HAVE A SENSE OF WELL-BEING! IN REALITY, ALMOST EVERYTHING CAN WAIT...THE PURPOSE OF LIFE ISN'T TO GET IT ALL DONE BUT TO ENJOY EACH STEP ALONG THE WAY AND LIVE A LIFE FILLED WITH LOVE."

The book is organized, in my opinion, to be read in any order you want. Some chapters may be useful to you and some may not now but perhaps later on in your life. I find it very motivational. I think you will enjoy it also.

DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF...AND IT'S ALL SMALL STUFF--WORDS TO LIVE BY!


How to cope with the fiendish pace of the Information Age   January 3, 2000
 43 out of 44 found this review helpful

A highly-readable little paperback with a different perspective of the generations; your own, those before you, and those soon to follow. The book is enjoying a good run as a best-seller, living proof many among us must be anxiety-ridden and looking for answers.

Say to yourself: "Life isn't an emergency" advises Dr. Carlson, and admits this is his essential strategy on how to keep little things from taking over your life. Then, along with this, he confronts the reader with the realization (often unrecognized) that life is made up of "little things."

Each of the hundred short chapters contains ideas and true-life examples of how to work around the little things so life will be more livable and enjoyable minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour. It would seem that adopting even one of these sometimes profound, sometimes simplistic concepts of living, you can relieve stress in your life; more importantly, life will be a lot more fun.

Examples: Live in the present. When you look around, it's easy to see no one has a guarantee he or she will be here tomorrow; right now is the only time we have control over. When we focus on the present moment, fear of what might happen in the future (and most of these fearful events never happen) goes away so we are more relaxed.

Become more patient. Don't interrupt others or finish their sentences (a sign of impatience that says, "I'm waiting for you to finish so I can talk"). The more patient you are, the more you will accept how it really is, rather than insisting that life should be as you would like it to be. Patience adds ease and acceptance of life so essential for inner peace. Allowing the other person to finish speaking is a mark of patience which improves relationships. Those you are talking with feel more relaxed because they feel you are listening to what they have to say. Result; you enjoy conversations more and are more relaxed rather than rushing through them.

"One thing at a time." Admonishes Carlson. When you do too many things at once, it's impossible to concentrate on the present moment. Result: You cannot fully enjoy the moment because you are less effective and focused.

Here are some chapter titles that illustrate the broad range of anti-anxiety subject matter covered in the book: "Surrender to the Fact that Life Isn't Fair; "Allow Yourself to be Bored; "Seek First to Understand; "Become Aware of Your Moods and Don't Allow Yourself to be Fooled by the Low Ones; "Practice Random Acts of Kindness; "Choose Being Kind Over Being Right; "Every Day, Tell at Least One Person Something You Like, Admire or Appreciate About Them; "Resist The Urge to Criticize; "Write Down Your Five Most Stubborn Positions and See if You Can Soften Them; "Become a Less Aggressive Driver; "Think of What You Have Instead of What You Want; "Think of Your Problems as Potential Teachers; "Get Comfortable Not Knowing; "Remember, One Hundred Years from Now, All New People; "Mind Your Own Business; "Live This Day as if it Were Your Last. It Might Be!"

"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" is a sprightly blend of old ideas and new ideas on how to how to cope with the fiendish pace of the Information Age. You won't recognize most of the old ideas though, because Author Carlson has dressed them up to fit today. In a gentle way, there's something rewarding here for almost everybody.


Paging Dr. Carlson... "Thank you!"   January 31, 2000
 24 out of 24 found this review helpful

In "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff!", Dr. Richard Carlson continues to share his infamous wisdom. I know what you're thinking, this book can't apply to you because you or your work are detail oriented by nature. This book, actually, has nothing to do with overlooking details, it merely shows you how to avoid letting little things from taking over your life and putting things in the right perspective. In fact one of the greatest things I read in the book was a little chapter called "Remind Yourself That When You Die, Your In-basket Won't be Empty". Some other thought provoking chapters are entitled "Ask Yourself the Question: Will This Matter a Year from Now?", "Search for the Grain of Truth in Others Opinions", "See the Glass as Already Broken", "When in Doubt About Who's Turn it is To Take Out the Trash, Go Ahead and Take it Out". These and most of the 100 mini-chapters in this book are really quite refreshing in their viewpoint, and quite easy to apply in your own life. As an example, I have learned not to let bad driver's upset me anymore, I simply expect everyone on the road to have a license issued from a "cracker jack box"... so when a near miss happens, I am no longer surprised or upset! This is just one simple way to apply the techniques in "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff". This is a book that the whole office should read, as it's benefits are real and tangible. Dr. Carlson has done it again... well maybe that's why it's still a best-seller.


Excellent, well written, and superbly concise   May 3, 1998
 20 out of 21 found this review helpful

This is marvelous magical book you hold in your hands in which every word written counts without being weighty. Richard Carlson has written a book packed with ideas that will uplift the spirit, open your mind and heart and free you in a delightful easy manner as he guides you into a clearer focusing of your life. He takes our lives and breaks our activities into bit-size pieces to savor and study easily without choking on our whole life all at once. His next book written "Don't Worry, Make Money" is just as direct and as enjoyable to read. Both books are filled with ideas that just make so much sense, you wonder why it wasn't clear to you before, yet somehow you sensed you've know these things all along. Never mind that you couldn't see them before, Richard Carlson is helping you to see them now! Carlson is a real intelligent pied piper who feeds the mind with seemingly simple words but which form profound concepts and ideas without boring or "spoonfeeding" the reader. You'll find that you won't mind sharing these books with others, in fact you may find yourself encouraging others to take a look at them while you are together; but you won't want to loan them overnight you'll rather wish to keep them nearby for easy reference, they become valuable comrades to you. One of the best things about both his books is that that you can start at the beginning, or just pick up a chapter at random, each chapter stands alone, yet works within the framework of the whole work. Kudos to Carlson, thank you for your enlightened writing.


Easier Said Than Done   May 31, 2000
 18 out of 22 found this review helpful

This is a nice lightweight little book that has a lot of commonsense advice in it, but the title is a bit misleading; it's ALL small stuff? Hardly. It might be easy to tell someone that they need to not worry about certain things and take things easy, but in practice it's not so easy. And some of the advie given can be just plain bad if followed too closely. I mean, really . . . "Regard everyone s enlightened but you"? How can anybody POSSIBLY do that? It seems a sort ot "Tao" Living for the new age; go with the flow; don't let anything get to you. Give way to others even when they are wrong. It might sound nice, and I am sure it makes for good sleep, but it would be a boon for dictators anywhere! Life is not easy; it cannot be watered down so that it is all small stuff. This material may be useful to a degree, but for one to really go about changing their life, an internal transfromation needs to occur; otherwise it is all just a crash course in how to be a mouse.