Richard Carlson Quotes & Sayings
Enjoy the top 100 famous quotes, sayings and quotations by Richard Carlson.
Famous Quotes By Richard Carlson
While most of us wouldn't write ourselves a nasty letter, read it, and then feel offended, this is precisely what we do with regard to our thinking. We — Richard Carlson
Life is a process
just one thing after another. When you lose it, just start again. — Richard Carlson
Slowing down your responses and becoming a better listeners aids you in becoming a more peaceful person — Richard Carlson
The old adage, 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is' isn't always correct. In fact, the suspicion, cynicism, and doubt that are inherent in this belief can and does keep people from taking advantage of excellent opportunities. — Richard Carlson
Find your true path. It's so easy to become someone we don't want to be, without even realizing it's happening. We are created by the choices we make every day. And if we take action in order to please some authority figure, we'll suddenly wake up down the road and say, This isn't me. I never wanted to be this person. — Richard Carlson
Trust your intuitive heart. How often have you said to yourself, after the fact, "I knew I should have done that"? How often do you intuitively know something but allow yourself to think yourself out of it? — Richard Carlson
Being listened to and heard is one of the greatest desires of the human heart. And those who learn to listen are the most loved and respected. — Richard Carlson
Trust in your own instincts and wisdom, and not in the words and fears of experts. — Richard Carlson
Seeking first to understand isn't about who's right or wrong; it is a philosophy of effective communication. — Richard Carlson
Meanwhile, life keeps moving forward. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? — Richard Carlson
Two rules of harmony. #1) Don't sweat the small stuff, and #2) It's all small stuff. — Richard Carlson
Many people spend their entire lifetimes wishing that other people would acknowledge them. They feel this especially about their parents, spouses, children, and friends. — Richard Carlson
Retirement can and will be a glorious time in your life. You'll love the freedom and ability to try new things. It's a new phase of life; a chance to be a beginner again. — Richard Carlson
Children listen best with their eyes. What you do is what they hear. — Richard Carlson
What interferes with this peaceful feeling is our expectation of reciprocity. — Richard Carlson
This is pretty simple stuff. But the truth is, the reality of making money and wise decisions isn't very complicated. However, not many people understand the importance of a don't-worry attitude. If you do, you're one step ahead of the game. — Richard Carlson
Admit that you're wrong- or that you've made a mistake. — Richard Carlson
Rather than being afraid to ask for help, remember this: When you ask someone to help you, you are actually doing them a tremendous favor by giving them an opportunity to feel needed. — Richard Carlson
One of the mistakes many of us make is that we feel sorry for ourselves, or for others, thinking that life should be fair, or that someday it will be. It's not and it won't. When we make this mistake we tend to spend a lot of time wallowing and/or complaining about what's wrong with life. "It's not fair," we complain, not realizing that, perhaps, it was never intended to be. — Richard Carlson
Wholeness or health is our natural state. The nature of healing involves removing obstructions to this natural state and bringing individuals into alignment with themselves and their world. Free of these obstructions, an individual's innate intelligence and self-regulating capabilties will guide him toward a state of well being. — Richard Carlson
Learning to stop sweating the small stuff involves deciding what things to engage in and what things to ignore. From a certain perspective, life can be described as a series of mistakes, one right after another with a little space in between. — Richard Carlson
Those who are in the habit of correcting others are often resented and avoided. — Richard Carlson
Success originates in the mind and translates into the material world. — Richard Carlson
A low mood is not the time to analyze your life. To do so is emotional suicide. If you have a legitimate problem, it will still be there when your state of mind improves. The trick is to be grateful for our good moods and graceful in our low moods - not taking them too seriously. The next time you feel low, for whatever reason, remind yourself, "This too shall pass." It will. — Richard Carlson
Rather than diluting the positive feelings by telling others about your own kindness, by keeping it to yourself you get to retain all the positive feelings. — Richard Carlson
Inner peace is accomplished by understanding and accepting the inevitable contradictions of life - the pain and pleasure, success and failure, joy and sorrow, births and deaths. Problems can teach us to be gracious, humble, and patient. — Richard Carlson
The truth is, we don't know what's going to happen - we just think we do. Often we make a big deal out of something. We blow up scenarios in our minds about all the terrible things that are going to happen. Most of the time we are wrong. If we keep our cool and stay open to possibilities, we can be reasonably certain that, eventually, all will be well. Remember: maybe so, maybe not. — Richard Carlson
As Mother Teresa reminds us, We cannot do great things on this earth. We can only do small things with great love. — Richard Carlson
The trick is to be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low. — Richard Carlson
It is in our lowest moods, when we are least equipped to do so, that we are tempted to try to solve problems or resolve issues with others. — Richard Carlson
Do not sweat the small stuff. — Richard Carlson
We cannot do great things on this earth. We can only do little things with great love. — Richard Carlson
The ill effects of thought come about when we forget that thought is a function of our consciousness ... an ability that we as human beings have. We are the producers of our own thinking. — Richard Carlson
To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are - always! — Richard Carlson
The key to a good life is this: If you're not going to talk about something during the last hour of your life, then don't make it a top priority during your lifetime. — Richard Carlson
Fear is the single most self-defeating emotion in our lives. — Richard Carlson
The fact that we can't see the beauty in something doesn't suggest that it's not there. Rather, it suggests that we are not looking carefully enough or with a broad enough perspective to see it. — Richard Carlson
Being heard and understood is one of the greatest desires of the human heart. — Richard Carlson
Ask yourself this question, will this matter a year from now? — Richard Carlson
Ironically, when you surrender your need to hog the glory, the attention you used to need from other people is replaced by a quiet inner confidence that is derived from letting others have it. — Richard Carlson
Effective listening is more than simply avoiding the bad habit of interrupting others while they are speaking or finishing their sentences. It's being content to listen to the entire thought of someone rather than waiting impatiently for your chance to respond. — Richard Carlson
No one has the right to force you to violate your own privacy. — Richard Carlson
It seems that we have it backward in our society. We tend to look up to people who are under a great deal of stress, who can handle loads of stress, and those who are under a great deal of pressure. — Richard Carlson
No one knows exactly where thought comes from, but it can be said that thought comes from the same place as whatever it is that beats our heart ... it comes from being alive. — Richard Carlson
Try to maintain the perspective that, in time, everything disintegrates and returns to its initial form. — Richard Carlson
Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness. — Richard Carlson
Every day, tell at least one person something you like, admire, or appreciate about them. — Richard Carlson
Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal for some later date. — Richard Carlson
Nothing helps us build our perspective more than developing compassion for others. Compassion is a sympathetic feeling. It involves the willingness to put yourself in someone else's shoes, to take the focus off yourself and to imagine what it's like to be in someone else's predicament, and simultaneously, to feel love for that person. It's the recognition that other people's problems, their pain and frustrations, are every bit as real as our own-often far worse. In recognizing this fact and trying to offer some assistance, we open our own hearts and greatly enhance our sense of gratitude. — Richard Carlson
People are no longer human beings. We should be called human doings. — Richard Carlson
We take simple preferences and turn them into conditions for our own happiness. — Richard Carlson
If you want your life to stand for peace and kindness, it's helpful to do kind, peaceful things. — Richard Carlson
When you let someone else win an argument, often you both end up winners. — Richard Carlson
The next time you find yourself in an argument, rather than defend your position, see if you can see the other point of view first. — Richard Carlson
Something wonderful begins to happen with the simple realization that life, like an automobile, is driven from the inside out, not the other way around. As you focus more on becoming more peaceful with where you are, rather than focusing on where you would rather be, you begin to find peace right now, in the present. Then, as you move around, try new things, and meet new people, you carry that sense of inner peace with you. It's absolutely true that, Wherever you go, there you are. — Richard Carlson
We deny the parts of ourselves that we deem unacceptable rather than accepting the fact that we're all less than perfect. — Richard Carlson
If we could only live the way we know deep down we should, we would guarantee ourselves a life of richness & fulfillment. — Richard Carlson
Don't sweat the small stuff. — Richard Carlson
If, however, you take a moment to observe how you actually feel immediately after you criticise someone, you'll notice that you will feel a little deflated and ashamed, almost like you're the one who has been attacked. The reason this is true is that when we criticise, it's a statement to the world and to ourselves, "I have a need to be critical." This isn't something we are usually proud to admit. — Richard Carlson
It is our ability to forget our problems, through the process of thought, rather than the passage of time, that frees us from the circumstances of our past. — Richard Carlson
Reflection is one of the most underused yet powerful tools for success. — Richard Carlson
The trick is to be grateful for our good moods and graceful in our low moods
not taking them too seriously. — Richard Carlson
Proving yourself is a dangerous trap. — Richard Carlson
Your heart, the compassionate part of you, knows that it's impossible to feel better at the expense of someone else. — Richard Carlson
Mistakes are really not that big of a deal. in fact , as most of us acknowledge we need to make mistakes in order to learn and grow — Richard Carlson
Your thoughts always create your emotions. Understanding the significance of this fact is the first step in escaping from unhappiness and depression. — Richard Carlson
Mental health has commonly been called conscience, instinct, wisdom, common sense, or the inner voice. We — Richard Carlson
I'm merely talking about learning to be less bothered by the actions of people. — Richard Carlson
Almost universally, when people look back on their lives while on their deathbed [ ... ] they wish they had spent more time with the people and activities they truly loved and less time worrying about aspects of life that, upon deeper examination, really don't matter at all that much. Imagining yourself at your own funeral allows you to look back at your life while you still have the chance to make some important changes. — Richard Carlson
speaking, as your level of understanding rises, you will have the experience of deeper feelings such as gratitude, calmness, peace, hope, and joy. — Richard Carlson
When your goal is to build people up, to make them feel better, to share in their joy, you too reap the rewards of their positive feelings. The next time you have the chance to correct someone, even if their facts are a little off, resist the temptation. Instead, ask yourself, "What do I really want out of this interaction?" Chances are, what you want is a peaceful interaction where all parties leave feeling good. Each time you resist 'being right,' and instead choose kindness, you'll notice a peaceful feeling within. — Richard Carlson
Reading is a gift. It's something you can do almost anytime and anywhere. It can be a tremendous way to learn, relax, and even escape. So, enough about the virtues of reading. Time to read on. — Richard Carlson
Criticism, like swearing, is actually nothing more than a bad habit. — Richard Carlson
Your job is to try to determine what the people in your life are trying to teach you. You'll find that if you do this, you'll be far less annoyed, bothered, and frustrated by the actions and imperfections of other people. — Richard Carlson
So many people spend so much of their life energy 'sweating the small stuff' that they completely lose touch with the magic and beauty of life. — Richard Carlson
Circumstances don't make a person; they reveal him or her. — Richard Carlson
Choose to be kind over being right and you'll be right everytime. — Richard Carlson
It's always a good idea to ask yourself, Where is this decision likely to lead? When you do, you can avoid many hassles and mistakes that are otherwise inevitable. By asking this simple question, you can keep your energy directed in areas that will serve you and others well. — Richard Carlson
Change the things that can be changed, accept those that cannot, and have the wisdom to know the difference. — Richard Carlson
When you let go of your expectations, when you accept life as it is, you're free.To hold on is to be serious and uptight. To let go is to lighten up. — Richard Carlson
As you begin to eliminate your need for perfection in all areas of your life, you'll begin to discover the perfection in life itself — Richard Carlson
People who live the most fulfilling lives are the ones who are always rejoicing at what they have. — Richard Carlson
Even though we often mess up, most of us are doing the best that we know how with the circumstances that surround us. — Richard Carlson
If someone throws you the ball, you don't have to catch it. — Richard Carlson
When you take time , often to reflect on the miracle of life - the miracle that you are even able to read this book - the gift of sight ,of love and all the rest , it can hep to remind you that many of the things that you think as "big stuff" are really just "small stuff" that you are turning into big tuff — Richard Carlson
Each of us places varying degrees of significance on what's really relevant and important, and we can almost always find fault with the way someone else is thinking or behaving. We can usually validate our own versions of reality by focusing on examples that, we believe, prove us to be right. In short, the way we see life will always seem justified, logical, and correct - to ourselves. The problem is, everyone else has the same assumption. — Richard Carlson
The first step to becoming a more peaceful person is to have the humility to admit that, in most cases, you're creating your own emergencies. Life will usually go on if things don't go according to plan. It's helpful to keep reminding yourself and repeating the sentence, "Life isn't an emergency". — Richard Carlson
Now is the only time we have, and the only time we have any control over. — Richard Carlson
If we would just slow down, happiness would catch up to us. — Richard Carlson
One of the cardinal rules of joyful living is that judging others takes a great deal of energy and, without exception, pulls you away from where you want to be. — Richard Carlson
When you have what you want (inner peace), you are less distracted by your wants, needs, desires, and concerns. It's thus easier to concentrate, focus, achieve your goals, and to give back to others. — Richard Carlson
The need for perfection and the desire for inner tranquility conflict with each other. — Richard Carlson
I am certain that a quiet mind is the foundation of inner peace. And inner peace translates into outer peace. — Richard Carlson