Ashton Tilton

food for thought

{dog-sitting edition}

{i'm dog-sitting for the crew. one of my favorite things about dog-sitting, aside from spending time with 3 of my favorite dogs in the world, is browsing through my big sis's book collection. talk about an inspiring library. so many great books, so little time...& so much school work...dang it. but despite no time & lots of school, i somehow always manage to make time...:)...this particular stay, i've picked up & revisited one of my favorite books of hers...Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: It's All Small Stuff...my sis lives by this book & i understand why. if you haven't read it, i highly recommend taking a gander @ it...give it a whirl. the following is a lil (okay kind of a big one but work with me) excerpt from the first chapter. just a lil food for thought. enjoy!}

"whenever we're dealing with bad news, a difficult person, or a disappointment of some kind, most of us get into certain habits, ways of reacting to life--particularly adversity--that don't serve us very well. we overreact, blow things out of proportion, hold on too tightly, & focus on the negative aspects of life. we lose sight of the bigger picture, focus on the negative, & annoy other people who might otherwise help us. in short, we live our lives as if they were one great big emergency!....when you don't 'sweat the small stuff,' your life won't be perfect, but you will learn to accept what life has to offer with far less resistance. as we learn in the zen philosophy, when you learn to 'let go' of problems instead of resisting with all your might, your life will begin to flow. you will, as the serenity prayer suggests, 'change the things that can be changed, accept those that cannot, & have the wisdom to know the difference.' i'm confident that if you give these strategies a try, you will learn the two rules of harmony. #1. don't sweat the small stuff, & #2. it's all small stuff. as you begin to incorporate these ideas into your life you will begin to create a more peaceful & loving you."