Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Here’s the secret though…it’s almost all “small stuff.”
If you take life too seriously and you can’t just relax or laugh at yourself, you’re going to make yourself miserable. Stop taking each “event” too seriously! We tend to over-dramatize so much in today’s culture. It’s what’s popular on your favorite tv show, on the news, the gossip at your work or with your friends…it’s too much.
My wife told me that she watched one car cut off another car the other morning, presumably on their way to work. What did the person in the car who felt wronged do? Flip them the bird and tailgate them, of course! Wait, what? How is that making the situation better? Best case scenario, you feel like you “showed them,” but really they don’t care. If they cared that you might get upset at them then they wouldn’t have done it in the first place. Worst case scenario, they brake check you and you get into an accident. Maybe they’re a fugitive and can’t afford to be stopped by the police so they shoot you and run. So what? Are you willing to give up your life, to never see your family or friends again because someone cut you off? Or are you willing to pay for damages to your car and theirs, as well as have your insurance rates raised? Let it go. It doesn’t matter.
There are thousands of examples I could use…
Someone didn’t follow your directions and are asking for help again? Let it go. You can’t control their actions.
The day didn’t go as you planned? Let it go. Do your best to put out fires today and start fresh tomorrow.
Why bring drama into your life over something so minuscule? It’s not worth you getting upset. It can help if you put the situation you’re in into perspective of how small it is in comparison to how long your life is. The situation may seem large to you right now, but will it matter in a week? Will you even remember this a year from now? What about ten years from now? Not likely…
Another way of reframing it is to think how great of a life you have compared to others less fortunate than you. Whatever problem you’re facing is so small compared to what they’re facing. If you’re reading this, you at least have access to the internet. You probably have a roof over your head, are wearing comfortable clothing, and can afford to eat and bathe yourself. That’s not always the case for others, yet we take it for granted. We end up making a big deal out of little things. We allow ourselves to get frustrated and upset with something that really shouldn’t matter (at least not in the long run).
Thinking about this brings me back to one of my favorite quotes, which says, “You get to choose to be happy or to be mad. Why would you choose anything but happiness?” Remember, don’t sweat the small stuff. Life is good. Be happy.