How To Stop Worrying & Start Living

[Guest guest]

HOW TO STOP WORRYING AND START LIVING

 

This is Dale Carnegie's summary of his book, from 1948

Part One

 

Fundamental facts you should know about worry

 

1. If you want to avoid worry, do what Sir William Osler

did: Live in "day-tight compartments." Don't stew about the futures.

Just live each day until bedtime.

2. The next time Trouble--with a Capital T--backs you up in a

corner, try the magic formula of Willis H. Carrier:

a. Ask yourself, "What is the worst that can possibly happen

if I can't solve my problem?

b. Prepare yourself mentally to accept the worst--if

necessary.

c. Then calmly try to improve upon the worst--which you have

already mentally agreed to accept.

3. Remind yourself of the exorbitant price you can pay for

worry in terms of your health. "Those who do not know how to fight

worry die young."

 

Part Two

 

Basic techniques in analyzing worry 1. Get the facts.

Remember that Dean Hawkes of Columbia University said that "half the

worry in the world is caused by people trying to make decisions

before they have sufficient knowledge on which to base a decision."

2. After carefully weighing all the facts, come to a

decision.

3. Once a decision is carefully reached, act! Get busy

carrying out your decision--and dismiss all anxiety about the

outcome.

4. When you, or any of your associates, are tempted to worry

about a problem, write out and answer the following questions:

a. What is the problem?

b. What is the cause of the problem?

c. What are all possible solutions?

d. What is the best solution?

 

Part Three

 

How to break the worry habit before it breaks you 1.

Crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy. Plenty of action is

one of the best therapies ever devised for curing "wibber gibbers."

2. Don't fuss about trifles. Don't permit little things--the

mere termites of life--to ruin your happines.

3. Use the law of averages to outlaw your worries. Ask

yourself: "What are the odds against this thing's happening at all?"

4. Co-operate with the inevitable. If you know a circumstance

is beyond your power to change or revise, say to yourself: "It is

so; it cannot be otherwise."

5. Put a "stop-less" order on your worries. Decide just how

much anxiety a thing may be worth--and refuse to give it anymore.

6. Let the past bury its dead. Don't saw sawdust.

 

Part Four

 

Seven ways to cultivate a mental attitude that will bring you

peace and happiness 1. Let's fill our minds with thoughts

of peace, courage, health, and hope, for "our life is what our

thoughts make it."

2. Let's never try to get even with our enemies, because if

we do we will hurt ourselves far more than we hurt them. Let's do as

General Eisenhower does: let's never waste a minute thinking about

people we don't like.

3.

A. Instead of worrying about ingratitude, let's expect it.

Let's remember that Jesus healed ten lepers in one day--and only one

thanked Him. Why should we expect more gratitude than Jesus got?

B. Let's remember that the only way to find happiness is not

to expect gratitude--but to give for the joy of giving.

C. Let's remember that gratitude is a "cultivated" trait; so

if we want our children to be grateful, we must train them to be

grateful.

4. Count your blessings--not your troubles!

5. Let's not imitate others. Let's find ourselves and be

ourselves, for "envy is ignorance" and "imitation is suicide."

6. When fate hands us a lemon, let's try to make a lemonade.

7. Let's forget our own unhappiness--by trying to create a

little happiness for others. "When you are good to others, you are

best to yourself."

 

Part Five

 

The perfect way to conquer worry 1. Prayer

 

Part Six

 

How to keep from worrying about criticism

1. Unjust criticism is often a disguised compliment. It often means

that you have aroused jealousy and envy. Remember that no one ever

kicks a dead dog.

 

2. Do the very best you can; and then put up your old umbrella and

keep the rain of criticism from running down the back of your neck.

 

3. Let's keep a record of the fool things we have done and

criticize ourselves. Since we can't hope to be perfect, let's do

what E.H. Little did: let's ask for unbiased, helpful, constructive

criticism.

 

Part Seven

 

Six ways to prevent fatigue and worry and keep your energy and

spirits high

1. Rest before you get tired.

2. Learn to relax at your work.

3. Learn to relax at home.

4. Apply these four good workings habits:

a. Clear your desk of all papers except those relating to

the immediate problem at hand.

b. Do things in the order of their importance.

c. When you face a problem, solve it then and there if you

have the facts to make a decision.

d. Learn to organize, deputize, and supervise.

5. To prevent worry and fatigue, put enthusiasm into your

work.

6. Remember, no one was ever killed by lack of sleep. It is

worrying about insomnia that does the damage--not the insomnia.

 

 

Jai Sai ram

Swamy Mahadevan

Bow to Shri Sai-Peace to all

Baba Bless you ever!!!