How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Do the very best yon can: and then put up your old
umbrella and keep the rain of criticism from running
down the back of your neck.

I ask myself: What mistakes did I make that time?’ What did I do that was right—and in what way could I have improved my performance?’ What lessons can I learn from that experience

“Have you learned lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who rejected you, and braced themselves against you, or disputed the passage with you?”

Instead of waiting for our enemies to criticise us or our work, let’s beat them to it. Let’s be our own most severe critic. Let’s find and remedy all our weaknesses before our enemies get a chance to say a word.

“I haven’t come back here to try to sell you any soap. I have come back to get your advice and your criticism. Won’t you please tell me what I did that was wrong when I tried to sell you soap a few minutes ago? You are far more experienced and successful than I am.

Let’s keep a record of the fool things we have done
and criticise 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.

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.

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.

Let’s keep a record of the fool things we have done and criticise 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.

to prevent fatigue and worry, the first rule is: Rest often. Rest before you get tired.

When beating at a moderate rate of seventy pulses per minute, the heart is actually working only nine hours out of the twenty-four. In the aggregate its rest periods total a full fifteen hours per day.”

Because an hour’s nap before the evening meal plus six hours’ sleep at night—a total of seven hours—will do you more good than eight hours of unbroken sleep.

do what the Army does—take frequent rests. Do what your heart does—rest before you get tired, and you will add one hour a day to your waking life.

Learn to relax while you are doing your work!

Tension is a habit. Relaxing is a habit. And bad habits can be broken, good habits formed.

How do you relax? Do you start with your mind, or do you start with your nerves? You don’t start with either. You always begin to relax with your muscles!

The reason the eyes are so important in relieving nervous tension is that they burn up one-fourth of all the nervous energies consumed by the body. That is also why so many people with perfectly sound vision suffer

You can relax in odd moments, almost anywhere you are. Only don’t make an effort to relax. Relaxation is the absence of all tension and effort. Think ease and relaxation. Begin by thinking relaxation of the muscles of your eyes and your face, saying over and over: “Let go … let go … let go and relax.” Feel the energy flowing out of your facial muscles to the centre of your body. Think of yourself as free from tension as a baby.

Relax in odd moments. Let your body go limp like an old sock.

Work, as much as possible, in a comfortable position. Remember that tensions in the body produce aching shoulders and nervous fatigue.