 What’s in it for me? Learn how to keep calm and get things done.

 If you want to reach your goals, stay relaxed and be true to yourself.
 If you’re determined to always be right, you’ll destroy your relationships and
happiness.
 Be kind to others – even when you think they don’t deserve it.
 Think positively and view your problems as learning opportunities.
 Live in the present moment.
 Make peace with yourself and your life.
 Final summary

What’s in it for me? Learn how to keep calm

and get things done.
Learn how to turn problems into opportunities and stay calm in stressful situations with this handy
guide dedicated to helping readers find happiness and peace of mind. Discover how to master your
thoughts and fully live in the moment to appreciate what you have and get the most out of life.

Keeping up with the modern world is not an easy thing to do. There are always tasks to do,
information to analyze, people to meet. How can we possibly get everything done? Surely we
need to concentrate on speed, and work quickly to fit everything in.

Nope. If we want to lead our most fulfilled lives, we need to start slowing down, not speeding
up. The key to getting the most out of life is to disengage from the crazy, fast-paced modern
world and take a more considered, mindful path. These blinks will tell you all you need to
know.

In these blinks you’ll discover

 why the past and the future do not matter;

 what the small stuff is and how not to sweat it; and
 why you should smile at the mailman.

If you want to reach your goals, stay relaxed

and be true to yourself.
What attitude do you need if you want to get the most out of life?
Most people think we have to give up relaxation and happiness if we really want to achieve
our goals. We need to concentrate, have a competitive attitude and live a disciplined life of
hard work.

Is this correct? Actually, no. Constantly working yourself into a stressed-out state will only
leave you fatigued and unhappy. You won’t get any closer to your goals – you’ll just run
yourself into the ground.

If you want to truly realize your dreams, it’s much better to have a relaxed and contemplative
approach to life. When you do, it’s actually much easier to get things done. But how do you
start?

Start by relaxing whenever you can. You might think you should only relax on holidays or
the weekend, but that’s not true. You should always be able to take a break after you’ve been
working too hard.

Another way you can enjoy a relaxing, contemplative outlook is to act bored. Seriously! Try
and make yourself bored on purpose. It might be frustrating in the beginning but you’ll
eventually come to enjoy the freedom and peace it brings.

If you want to lead a more relaxed life, you have to stop living for other people and follow
your own will. We often work ourselves into unhappiness because we’re trying to please
others. Stop doing what you think other people want from you – it’ll only stress you out.

It’s impossible to please everyone all the time. It’s much healthier to be true to yourself and
your own goals.

So take a step back. Remind yourself that your life isn’t an emergency.

If you’re determined to always be right, you’ll

destroy your relationships and happiness.
Most people want to look important, so they push themselves to do things that’ll be well
perceived. We create a lot of problems for ourselves when we do this.

It’s natural to want to be in the spotlight. We want to speak our minds and impress people.
Unfortunately, this can be very harmful to our relationships.
When we interrupt people or fail to listen to them respectfully, we make them nervous or
irritable. Instead, try to let go of your ego, be patient and let them finish. That can be difficult
at times, but it’ll certainly improve your interaction and help you work through any problems.

If you’re determined to always be right, you’ll alienate yourself from the people who really
matter. So even if you feel the need to correct something a loved one says, just stay calm and
let them keep speaking. This will create a much more relaxed atmosphere between the two of
you.

We also tend to harbor resentment for anyone we’ve had an argument or misunderstanding
with. When we do this, we turn small stuff into big stuff in our minds.

Don’t hold on to your anger. It can lead you to turn a small argument with a friend into
something big – like deciding to never talk to them again.

Why do we do this? Well, we tend to see forgiveness as a sign of weakness and insecurity.
We subconsciously want to protect our images by giving up relationships with loved ones in
hopes that they’ll come back to us.

You can avoid this by simply letting go of your need to be right, and focusing on being happy
instead.

Keep the small stuff small. There are much more important things to care about, like creating
a better world.

Be kind to others – even when you think they

don’t deserve it.
You can put all your effort into making yourself happy but still feel empty inside. What’s a
better alternative? Making others happy instead!

Sharing your love with others can be magical. You won’t just make them happier – you’ll
make yourself happier too.

We’re often so busy working toward our goals that we forget to appreciate the things that
matter most. So take a break each day and think about the people you’re thankful for, or write
a heartfelt letter once a week. Let your loved ones know that you’re grateful to have them.
Your gesture doesn’t have to change the person’s life but it’ll certainly brighten their day.
Little acts of kindness – like taking out the trash instead of waiting for your partner to do it –
can make a big difference.

And what about the people you don’t love? The ones who annoy you? If you want to be
happier, give them a break!

People can certainly be annoying or frustrating but that doesn’t mean you should get upset.
Instead, try to understand what’s causing them to be that way. When you empathize with
them, they’ll annoy you less.

If you get angry because the postal clerk is moving slowly, for instance, think about it from
their perspective. They’re not doing it annoy you, they’re probably just having a bad day – so
give them a break!

The more compassion you have for others, the happier you’ll feel. So give that clerk a smile –
it might turn their day around. It’ll make you feel better too.

Treat yourself well by treating others well.

Think positively and view your problems as

learning opportunities.
Your entire life is a reflection of your thoughts. So make sure you think positively!

Your thoughts create your reality. It’s very important to be aware of that. You don’t just
observe your thinking – you live it out. Fortunately, you have the power to control what’s
happening in your mind.

When you’re stuck in a bad mood, focus on changing the way you think. Remember that
everything will pass. Nothing stays forever. Every moment is temporary and you can choose
to feel better whenever you want.

A good way to train your thoughts and become more optimistic is to spend time alone. When
you take time for yourself, you give yourself a precious gift. Whether it’s ten minutes of
meditation, yoga or spending time in nature, quiet time is an important part of your life.

Another important part of thinking positively is to stop fighting against your problems. When
you confront your problems with aggressiveness, you’ll only get more frustrated.
You don’t achieve happiness by getting rid of your problems – you achieve it by learning
from them. Your problems can serve as great teachers. View them as a source of awakening.

Let’s say your problem is that you feel envious of someone else’s happiness. First, try to
understand why you feel this way. What part of your life are you unsatisfied with and what
can you do to make it better?

Focus on what you have instead of what you don’t have. If you find yourself wishing your
partner was different, try thinking about their positive qualities. Instead of complaining about
your salary, be grateful you have a job. You’ll start to feel much better about your life.

You can’t control the outside world but you can control what happens inside.

Live in the present moment.

People are nervous and anxious far too often. We forget to take a deep breath and enjoy the
only moment we really have: now!

If you want peace of mind, it’s essential to live in the moment. We tend to dwell on problems
from the past and worry about the future so much that we end up frustrated, depressed and
anxious.

You can avoid these problems by staying focused on the here and now. Concentrate on your
breathing for a few minutes. It’s a great way to bring your mind into the present moment.

It’s very destructive to always want to be somewhere else. Appreciate where you are at the
moment.

When you focus on where you are now, you’ll find peace even when things are challenging.
Don’t keep holding out for the perfect moment – it’ll never come.

Of course it’s frustrating when life isn’t exactly what you want, but the secret to being happy
is to appreciate the present. You also need to be patient.

When you’re patient with yourself and your life, you’ll be more willing to accept things as
they are. So practice patience on a daily basis. If you get stressed out at work, take five
minutes to focus on your breathing and forget about your boss. You might even gain some
new insights on the situation during those five minutes.
Doing too many things at once can also prevent you from enjoying the moment. Don’t be too
anxious to finish all your tasks at once. Pace yourself and try to learn something from
everything you do.

Remember: the present is the only time that really exists. Cherish it for what it is.

Make peace with yourself and your life.

We live in a very fast-paced world. Everything needs to be done right now and it needs to be
done perfectly. This constant rush puts a lot of pressure on us, even as we go through the
most basic tasks in our daily lives.

You may think you can bring out your best by being a perfectionist. That will never work. If
you strive to be perfect, you’ll only end up focusing on your flaws.

So the next time you catch yourself looking in the mirror and thinking about the five pounds
you want to lose, remind yourself that your body is an amazing instrument that lets you live a
magical and beautiful life. Focus on the things you appreciate rather than the things you want
to change.

Remember: your life isn’t an emergency. A lot of people neglect their families and dreams
because they feel they need to do as much work as they can, as quickly as possible. But really
there’s nothing more important than your happiness.

So when you’re feeling stressed out or under pressure, just stop for a minute. Repeat to
yourself that nothing is an emergency. Call someone you love or do something that makes
you happy.

Aim to be relaxed even when things aren’t going your way. We often procrastinate on
relaxing, just thinking we’ll do it later. That’s not true – you can relax now.

Even when you’re genuinely busy it’s still possible to clear your mind. You have to make the
choice though, so push yourself to go through your day with a relaxed attitude. Your
problems will gradually melt away. You have to decide for yourself how you want to live
your life.

Final summary
The key message in this book:

Your life is a reflection of your thoughts – when you master your thoughts you can
master yourself. So stay calm, even in situations where you think you can’t. Thinking
positively, take the time to appreciate your loved ones and let go of your animosity. Live
in the moment. When you learn to keep the small stuff small, you’ll find real happiness
and peace of mind.

Actionable advice:

Don’t harbor negative feelings toward others.

If someone’s annoying or upsetting you, try to understand their perspective instead of getting
angry. If you have a fight with a loved one, don’t hold onto your resentment. When you treat
others well, you won’t just make them happier – you’ll make yourself happier too.

Suggested further reading: ThePowerofPositiveThinking by Norman Vincent Peale

ThePowerofPositiveThinking is a self-declared manual for achieving happiness and

overcoming even the most difficult problems. Focusing on our attitudes toward our life
situations as well as our faith, the book acts as a guide to the way we can change our lives
through a steadfast focus on positive outcomes – if we’re willing to make that choice.