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.”

“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.”

“100: Live This Day as if It Were Your Last.”

“The trick is to be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Happiness is a state of mind, not a set of circumstances.”

“Ask yourself this question: will this matter a year from now?”

“If you want your life to stand for peace and kindness, it's helpful to do kind, peaceful things.”

“Every day, tell at least one person something you like, admire, or appreciate about them.”

“Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Life didn't come with a fool-proof manual.”

“When you let someone else win an argument, often you both end up winners.”

“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.”

“Choose being kind over being right and you'll be right every time.”

“Circumstances don't make a person; they reveal him or her.”