by Dale Carnegie
8/10
Key Ideas:
Live in “day-tight compartments.” Don’t stew about the future or past.
Accept what cannot be changed.
Rest before you get tired.
Other interesting notes:
“What is the worst that can possibly happen if I can’t solve my problem?”; prepare mentally to accept it; try to improve upon what you accepted.
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.
Once a decision is carefully reached, act! Get busy carrying out your decision–and dismiss all anxiety about the outcome.
What is the problem? What is the cause of the problem? What are all possible solutions? What is the best solution?
Crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy.
Don’t permit little things to ruin your happiness.
Put a “stop-less” order on your worries. Decide just how much anxiety a thing may be worth–and refuse to give it anymore.
Let the past bury its dead. Don’t saw sawdust.
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 never waste a minute thinking about people we don’t like.
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?
Let’s remember that the only way to find happiness is not to expect gratitude–but to give for the joy of giving.
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.
Count your blessings–not your troubles!
Let’s not imitate others. Let’s find ourselves and be ourselves, for “envy is ignorance” and “imitation is suicide”.
When fate hands us a lemon, let’s try to make a lemonade.
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.”
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 criticize ourselves. Since we can’t hope to be perfect, let’s ask for unbiased, helpful, constructive criticism.
Rest before you get tired.
Learn to relax at your work.
Learn to relax at home.
Remember, no one was ever killed by lack of sleep. It is worrying about insomnia that does the damage–not the insomnia.
Thoughts on the book:
A classic. A bit too much “positive thinking”, but 95% of the book is super solid.
If you like this, you’ll probably like: How to relax, Tao te ching, Guide to the good life, The way to love, How to win friends and influence people, books
