Thursday Devotion April 30th 2026

Okay guys,Chapter 1+2,week 2 of our study of:

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Ok also please remember everything in quotation marks is straight from the book written by Richard Carlson PhD. Ok let's dive in.

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               Chapter 1

“Often we allow ourselves to get all worked up about things that,upon closer examination,aren’t really that big of a deal. We focus on little problems and concerns and blow them way out of proportion. A stranger,for example, might cut in front of  us in traffic. Rather than let it go, and go on with our day, we convince ourselves that we are justified in our anger. We play out an imaginary confrontation in our mind. Many of us might even tell someone else about the incident later on rather than simply letting it go  

 Why not instead simply allow the driver to have his accident somewhere else? Try to have compassion for the person and remember how painful it is to be in such an enormous hurry. This way,we can maintain our own sense of well-being and avoid taking other people's problems personally.

There are many similar “small stuff” examples that occur every day of our lives. Whether we had to wait in line,listen to unfair criticism,or do the lion’s share of the work, it pays enormous dividends if we learn not to worry about little things. 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. When we commit to working toward this goal you will find that you will have more energy to be kinder and gentler.”

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              Chapter 2

“ I’ve yet to meet an absolute perfectionist whose life is filled with inner peace. The need for perfection and the desire for inner tranquility conflict with each other. Whenever we are attached to having something a certain way,better than it already is,we are,almost by definition,engaged in a losing battle. Rather than being content and grateful for what we have,we are focused on what is wrong with something and our need to fix it. When we are zeroed in on what’s wrong with something and our need to fix it. When we are zeroed in on what’s wrong,it implies that we are dissatisfied,discontent.

Whether it’s related to ourselves – a disorganized closet,a scratch on the car,an imperfect accomplishment,a few pounds we would like to lose – someone else’s “imperfections” – the way someone looks,behaves, or lives their life – the very act of focusing on imperfection pulls us away from our goal of being kind and gentle/ This strategy has nothing to do with ceasing to do our very best but with being overly attached and focused on what’s wrong with life. It’s about realizing that while there’s always a better way to do something,this doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy and appreciate the way things already are.

  The solution here is to catch yourself when you fall into your habit of insisting that things should be other than they are. In the absence of your judgement,everything would be fine. 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.”

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That is all for this week! Hope you are enjoying it so far. See you next week!

   -  Sophie Shearman