Richard Carlson was an American author, psychotherapist, and motivational speaker. His book, Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff And It’s All Small Stuff, was USA Today’s bestselling book for two consecutive years and spent over 101 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. It was published in 135 countries and translated into Latvian, Polish, Icelandic, Serbian and 26 other languages. Carlson went on to write 20 books. May his quotes inspire you to not sweat the small stuff and take action so that you may live your dreams.
1. “Every day, tell at least one person something you like, admire, or appreciate about them.” Richard Carlson
2. “The trick is to be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low.” Richard Carlson
3. “It’s never too late or too early to be happy. There’s a big payoff to learning to be happier.” Richard Carlson
4. “Ask yourself this question: Will this matter a year from now?” Richard Carlson
5. “The key to a good life is this: If you’re not going to talk about something during the last hour of your life, then don’t make it a top priority during your lifetime.” Richard Carlson
6. “Being heard and understood is one of the greatest desires of the human heart.” Richard Carlson
7. “Rather than being afraid to ask for help, remember this: When you ask someone to help you, you are actually doing them a tremendous favour by giving them an opportunity to feel needed. ” Richard Carlson
8. “You make a difference every time you’re thoughtful, helpful, cooperative, generous, compassionate, or kind.” Richard Carlson
9. “Every time you stand up for what’s right or allow someone to be right you make a difference. The same is true every time you are a good listener or when you offer your forgiveness. Even a simple smile can make a world of difference.” Richard Carlson
10. “Reflection is one of the most underused yet powerful tools for success.” Richard Carlson
11. “The old adage, ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’ isn’t always correct. In fact, the suspicion, cynicism, and doubt that are inherent in this belief can and does keep people from taking advantage of excellent opportunities.” Richard Carlson
12. “To a happy person, the formula for happiness is quite simple: Regardless of what happened early this morning, last week, or last year – or what may happen later this evening, tomorrow, or three years from now -now is where happiness lies.” Richard Carlson
13. “I guess it’s safe to say that practice makes perfect. It makes sense, then, to be careful what you practice.” Richard Carlson
14. “If someone throws you the ball, you don’t have to catch it.” Richard Carlson
15. “Choose being kind over being right, and you’ll be right every time.” Richard Carlson
16. “It seems that we have it backwards in our society. We tend to look up to people who are under a great deal of stress, who can handle loads of stress and those who are under a great deal of pressure.” Richard Carlson
17. “The ability to honestly and quietly reflect on ones life is one of the most powerful tools for personal growth.” Richard Carlson
18. “Search for the grain of truth in other opinions.” Richard Carlson
19. “Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.” Richard Carlson
20. “When you let go of your expectation, when you accept life as it is, you’re free. To hold on is to be serious and uptight. To let go is to lighten up.” Richard Carlson
21. “Many people spend their entire lifetimes wishing that other people would acknowledge them. they feel this especially about their parents, spouses, children, and friends.” Richard Carlson
22. “It’s the recognition that other people’s problems, their pain and frustrations, are every bit as real as our own – often far worse. In recognizing this fact and trying to offer some assistance, we open our hearts and greatly enhance our sense of gratitude.” Richard Carlson
23. “You will never be completely free from life’s little annoyances, but you can become free from feeling annoyed.” Richard Carlson
24. “When you let someone else win an argument. Often you both end up winners.” Richard Carlson
25. “Learning to stop sweating the small stuff involves deciding what things to engage in and what things to ignore. From a certain perspective, life can be described as a series of mistakes, one right after another with little space in between.” Richard Carlson
26. “Retirement can and will be a glorious time in your life. You’ll love the freedom and ability to try new things. It’s a new phase of life: a chance to be a beginner again.” Richard Carlson
27. “If you slow down long enough, happiness might just catch up to you.” Richard Carlson
28. “You can’t have a better past.” Richard Carlson
29. “People who live the most fulfilling lives are the ones who are always rejoicing at what they have.” Richard Carlson
30. “Make living your life with absolute integrity and kindness your first priority.” Richard Carlson
31. “Do your best every day and let the future take care of itself.” Richard Carlson
32. “Often we allow ourselves to get all worked up about things that upon closer examination aren’t really that big a deal. We focus on little problems and blow them out of proportion, whether we had to wait in line, listen to unfair criticism, or do the lion’s share of the work. It pays enormous dividends if we learn not to worry about little things. So many people spend so much of their life energy ‘sweating the small stuff’ that they completely lose touch with the magic and beauty of life.” Richard Carlson
33. “Meanwhile, life keeps moving forward. The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?” Richard Carlson
34. “You are what you practice most.” Richard Carlson
35. “The measure of your life will be how well you lived and how well you loved. Don’t sweat the small stuff because life is precious.” Richard Carlson
