This is a FlashBooks audio summary of Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff...and It’s All Small Stuff.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson became an international best seller almost instantly. In fact, people loved it so much that it sparked an entire series of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff books, including: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff with Your Family; Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff at Work; Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Men - and the list goes on and on. It’s a powerful little book, packed with wisdom and insightful ideas on leading a more meaningful, joyful life. The book was a hit when it was first published back in 1997 and continues to sell well to this day. Even the story behind how the book got its title is interesting....

In the introduction, the author Richard Carlson writes about how his publisher asked him to get an endorsement for the foreign edition of his book You Can Feel Good Again. More specifically, the foreign arm of his publisher wanted him to get a real heavyweight in the self-help genre to endorse the book, so they requested he ask best-selling author Wayne Dyer to give Carlson a short endorsement. Since Dyer had given him an endorsement on a previously published book already, he figured he might be able to get another one for his new book. Carlson sent his request to Dyer and waited for a response.... A few months went by and he still hadn’t heard from Dyer. Eventually, Carlson figured that Dyer was either too busy or simply unwilling to endorse the book. So he honored this decision and let his publisher know he was unable to secure Dyer’s endorsement. Then, a few more months went by and Carlson’s publisher sent him a copy of the foreign edition of his book. And as he cracked it open, he became incredibly angry incredibly quickly, because his publisher used Wayne Dyer’s old endorsement of Carlson’s previous book for the new book - all without permission! Carlson had a great deal of respect for Dyer, so he immediately wrote him a heartfelt apology, promising he’d work on getting the books pulled from the shelves as soon as possible. A few anxious weeks went by, and Dyer finally wrote back to Carlson, telling him the following: “Richard. There are two rules for living in harmony. #1) Don’t sweat the small stuff and #2) It’s all small stuff. Let the quote stand. Love, Wayne.”

Dyer’s graceful response inspired him to launch what would eventually become his most popular book: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.... The basic idea behind the book is simple and straightforward: Take the path of least resistance. Let go of problems rather than resisting them. Change what’s within your control, let go of what isn’t - and be capable of recognizing the difference between the two.

The book contains a collection of 100 short essays, written to serve as tips, tactics, and techniques for overcoming/accepting/avoiding life’s big challenges. It’s one of those books you can pick up and start reading pretty much anywhere. It’s filled with gems on better living and finding fulfillment and flow - ideas that embody the author’s practical “path of least resistance” mentality. Of course, we won’t be covering all 100 tips from the book, but we will be covering some of our favorites. Both Dyer and Carlson have passed away, but their ideas continue to live on and inspire people around the world to remember the two simple rules for life: 1. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and 2. it’s all small stuff.

Here’s what you’ll learn about in this book summary:
 

• How to “stop sweating the small stuff”
• Simple principles for successful living
• How to reduce stress and boost fulfillment by learning to put your problems into perspective
• And much, much more....