How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

‘One grain of sand at a time. … One task at a time.’

‘Every day is a new life to a wise man.’ I typed that sentence out and pasted it on the windshield of my car, where I saw it every minute I was driving. I found it wasn’t so hard to live only one day at a time. I learned to forget the yesterdays and to not think of the tomorrows. Each morning I said to myself: ‘Today is a new life.’

We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

“How strange it is, our little procession of life I wrote Stephen Leacock. “The child says: When I am a big boy. But what is that? The big boy says: When I grow up.’ And then, grown up, he says: When I get married.’ But to be married, what is that after all? The thought changes to ‘When I’m able to retire.” And then, when retirement comes, he looks back over the landscape traversed; a cold wind seems to sweep over it; somehow he has missed it all, and it is gone. Life, we learn too late, is in the living, in the tissue of every day and hour.”

Carpe diem. “Enjoy the day.” Or, “Seize the day.” Yes, seize the day, and make the most of it.

Stop frequently in your reading to think over what you are reading. Ask yourself just how and when you can apply each suggestion.

Learning is an active process. We learn by doing. So, if you desire to master the principles you are studying in this book, do something about them. Apply these rules at every opportunity. If you don’t you will forget them quickly. Only knowledge that is used sticks in your mind.

Learning is an active process. We learn by doing.

best possible way to prepare for tomorrow is to concentrate with all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today’s work superbly today. That is the only possible way you can prepare for the future.

good thinking deals with causes and effects and leads to logical, constructive planning; bad thinking frequently leads to tension and nervous breakdowns.

Salutation to the Dawn Look to this day! For it is life, the very life of life. In its brief course Lie all the verities and realities of your existence: The bliss of growth The glory of action The splendour of achievement. For yesterday is but a dream And tomorrow is only a vision, But today well lived makes yesterday a dream of happiness And every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day! Such is the salutation to the dawn.

“Finally, common sense reminded me that worry wasn’t getting me anywhere;

“Step I. I analysed the situation fearlessly and honestly and figured out what was the worst that could possibly happen as a result of this failure.

“Step II. After figuring out what was the worst that could possibly happen, I reconciled myself to accepting it, if necessary. I said to myself: This failure will be a blow to my record, and it might possibly mean the loss of my job;

“Step III. From that time on, I calmly devoted my time and energy to trying to improve upon the worst which I had already accepted mentally.

“I probably would never have been able to do this if I had kept on worrying, because one of the worst features about worrying is that it destroys our ability to concentrate.

Acceptance of what has happened is the first step in overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.”

“True peace of mind,” said this Chinese philosopher, “comes from accepting the worst.

When we worry, our minds jump here and there and everywhere, and we lose all power of decision.

Ask yourself, “What is the worst that can possibly happen?” Prepare to accept it if you have to. Then calmly proceed to improve on the worst.