DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
On another day, I would have worried about using the title I have chosen for this article. For, it is the title of one of my favourite inspirational-books. This little book - a true classic, in my view - contains dozens of small articles which help us calm down whenever we get worked up on our daily, small stuff; yes, whenever we 'sweat our small stuff'. The ideal place to park this book is: the pillow side. So soothing it is!
Richard Carlson, the author of this book, tells us, in the introduction, the story behind the title. He tells, that he had gotten the famous author, Dr. Wayne Dyer, to endorse one of Carlson's earlier books. He had written to Dr. Dyer for a similar endorsement for the next one as well. But, there was no response from the famous author. Meanwhile, the publishers of Mr. Carlson's new book decided to carry Dr. Dyer's previous endorsement on the new cover, too. When Carlson saw the cover of his new book, he immediately slipped into a panic mode! "Thousands of copies of the book are already printed and published, without obtaining the permission for the use of the endorsement it prominently carries on its cover." ... Carlson began to worry about its fall out. His conscience restlessly began to burn; it was against the values he wrote and preached about. After a great deal of sweating and worrying, he asked his publishers to withdraw all the books from the market. In the mean time, he wrote about his blunder to the famed writer, and asked to be forgiven.
A few weeks later, a mail arrived:
"Richard, please don't sweat the small stuff. And, it's all small stuff!"
The boulders around Carlson's conscience, instantly, fell off! So touched he was by this simple, yet profound, gesture, that he decided to write his next book on this universal human trait of 'panicking' - worrying over the little things in life. Rightly, the book bore the title: "DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF ..."
Had I written this blog piece on another day, I, too, would have sweat over the use of someone else's copyright material. I would have restlessly worried about its supposed consequences. Yes, I would have. But, on another day; not today.
Why? What is special about today?
I will tell you.
All of us are endowed with some strengths and some weaknesses. I am endowed with mine. And, one of the most notorious weaknesses, in my case, is my poor management of finances. Though I have come a long way in this respect, in recent years, the flaw still persists. And, I am still careless and absent-minded on money matters. Maybe, I am too philosophical about all these things ... "My kingdom does not belong to this world," ... Maybe, I have taken Jesus Christ's words too seriously!
The reality is that, I am no Jesus Christ, and my 'kingdom' does belong to this world! I am too frequently awakened to this reality, and, often, rudely, too.
Yes, often by my hardcore-pragmatic wife or by our tough tax-collectors, and often by Banks or my Insurance companies. "Give God what is God's; and give Caesar what is Caesar's," ... The Banks and the tax-collectors draw my attention to the the 'Caesar's' emblem on the coin.
"If you don't pay our taxes, we will hound you;" ... "If you don't repay our money, we'll take away you home;" ... "If you don't pay our premiums, your policy will lapse." I am, luckily, quite careful about my taxes and repayments. Maybe, I am too frightened of the hounds, and of living on streets. But, about the insurance premiums, I am still careless, and my policies go on a lapse mode, quite often!
A 'big' problem?
I know, I must be a 'big fool' to think so! They have made the whole insurance experience so hastle-free and pleasant. There is ECS, There is e-payment, there are insurance agents, or - if nothing else - there is my sensible wife. If I really want to sort out this little problem, I can ... and, in no time. The point is: "If I really want to!"
As I told you earlier in this article, of late, I have started making some progress in this area. Things are not that bad as they used to be once. I was feeling quite happy about this achievement. I was feeling, that I was on way to recovery; I was feeling, that I was in control. And, suddenly, out of the blue, arrived this intimation from one of my insurers: that, one of my policies is the fresh causality of my carelessness!
"What?" Disbelief and disagreement were my first reaction.
"Oh, no; not again." Disappointment and frustration were the next.
Hopelessness and self-torture were the last off-shoots.
This was all in the morning, today. A small stuff played a big havoc. I sweat and worried on this till I was able to see the silliness of mind-game, till I remembered the gentle title of my favourite book: 'DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF ...'
Yes, till my mind got back into the 'relapse' mode: from 'carelessness' to 'carefreeness'.
And, yes, till I typed the title of this article ... never sweating and worrying over the supposed consequences of my piracy.
On another day, I would have!
GERALD D'CUNHA
Richard Carlson, the author of this book, tells us, in the introduction, the story behind the title. He tells, that he had gotten the famous author, Dr. Wayne Dyer, to endorse one of Carlson's earlier books. He had written to Dr. Dyer for a similar endorsement for the next one as well. But, there was no response from the famous author. Meanwhile, the publishers of Mr. Carlson's new book decided to carry Dr. Dyer's previous endorsement on the new cover, too. When Carlson saw the cover of his new book, he immediately slipped into a panic mode! "Thousands of copies of the book are already printed and published, without obtaining the permission for the use of the endorsement it prominently carries on its cover." ... Carlson began to worry about its fall out. His conscience restlessly began to burn; it was against the values he wrote and preached about. After a great deal of sweating and worrying, he asked his publishers to withdraw all the books from the market. In the mean time, he wrote about his blunder to the famed writer, and asked to be forgiven.
A few weeks later, a mail arrived:
"Richard, please don't sweat the small stuff. And, it's all small stuff!"
The boulders around Carlson's conscience, instantly, fell off! So touched he was by this simple, yet profound, gesture, that he decided to write his next book on this universal human trait of 'panicking' - worrying over the little things in life. Rightly, the book bore the title: "DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF ..."
Had I written this blog piece on another day, I, too, would have sweat over the use of someone else's copyright material. I would have restlessly worried about its supposed consequences. Yes, I would have. But, on another day; not today.
Why? What is special about today?
I will tell you.
All of us are endowed with some strengths and some weaknesses. I am endowed with mine. And, one of the most notorious weaknesses, in my case, is my poor management of finances. Though I have come a long way in this respect, in recent years, the flaw still persists. And, I am still careless and absent-minded on money matters. Maybe, I am too philosophical about all these things ... "My kingdom does not belong to this world," ... Maybe, I have taken Jesus Christ's words too seriously!
The reality is that, I am no Jesus Christ, and my 'kingdom' does belong to this world! I am too frequently awakened to this reality, and, often, rudely, too.
Yes, often by my hardcore-pragmatic wife or by our tough tax-collectors, and often by Banks or my Insurance companies. "Give God what is God's; and give Caesar what is Caesar's," ... The Banks and the tax-collectors draw my attention to the the 'Caesar's' emblem on the coin.
"If you don't pay our taxes, we will hound you;" ... "If you don't repay our money, we'll take away you home;" ... "If you don't pay our premiums, your policy will lapse." I am, luckily, quite careful about my taxes and repayments. Maybe, I am too frightened of the hounds, and of living on streets. But, about the insurance premiums, I am still careless, and my policies go on a lapse mode, quite often!
A 'big' problem?
I know, I must be a 'big fool' to think so! They have made the whole insurance experience so hastle-free and pleasant. There is ECS, There is e-payment, there are insurance agents, or - if nothing else - there is my sensible wife. If I really want to sort out this little problem, I can ... and, in no time. The point is: "If I really want to!"
As I told you earlier in this article, of late, I have started making some progress in this area. Things are not that bad as they used to be once. I was feeling quite happy about this achievement. I was feeling, that I was on way to recovery; I was feeling, that I was in control. And, suddenly, out of the blue, arrived this intimation from one of my insurers: that, one of my policies is the fresh causality of my carelessness!
"What?" Disbelief and disagreement were my first reaction.
"Oh, no; not again." Disappointment and frustration were the next.
Hopelessness and self-torture were the last off-shoots.
This was all in the morning, today. A small stuff played a big havoc. I sweat and worried on this till I was able to see the silliness of mind-game, till I remembered the gentle title of my favourite book: 'DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF ...'
Yes, till my mind got back into the 'relapse' mode: from 'carelessness' to 'carefreeness'.
And, yes, till I typed the title of this article ... never sweating and worrying over the supposed consequences of my piracy.
On another day, I would have!
GERALD D'CUNHA
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