How to let things go 99 tips from a Zen Buddhist monk to relinquish control and free yourself up for what matters
Book - 2024
"Feeling overwhelmed? Step away from life's mounting demands and free yourself up for what matters with this succinct and sensible guide by the Zen Buddhist author of the international bestsellers The Art of Simple Living and Don't Worry. Amid the relentless cycle of news, social media, emails, and texts, it can be hard to know when, if ever, we can step away from everything clamoring for our attention. Renowned monk Shunmyo Masuno offers us a radical message: We can leave it all be, and indeed sometimes the best thing we can learn is how to do nothing. A few of the things How to Let Things Go teaches us: Lesson #2: Give people space-being caring and being nosy are not the same thing. Lesson #13: Follow your goen to good oppo...rtunities. Lesson #15: Remember that social media is a tool and nothing more. Lesson #19: Let farewells be, and leave your relationships to nature. Lesson #40: Think of letting things go not as throwing them away, but setting them free. Lesson #75: Make decisions in the light of the morning-don't rush into them. Lesson #90: Take more breaks the busier you become. With these and ninety-two other practical tips, we can abandon the futile pursuit of controlling everything in our lives and unlock the key to a fulfilling social life, individual well-being, and a calmer, more focused mind"--
| Location | Call Number | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Floor New Shelf | 294.344/Masuno | (NEW SHELF) | Due Feb 7, 2025 |
- Subjects
- Published
-
New York :
Penguin Life
[2024]
- Language
- English
Japanese - Main Author
- Other Authors
- Edition
- English-language edition
- Item Description
- Translation of: Shigoto mo ningen kankei mo umaku iku hōtteoku chikara.
- Physical Description
- xiii, 207 pages : illustrations ; 19 cm
- ISBN
- 9780143138136
- Foreword
- Part 1. Don't get overly involved.
- Be more detached in your relationships.
- 1. Let things go and your life will improve.
- 2. Leave people alone.
- 3. Changing others is impossible.
- 4. If people know only the half of you, that's just fine.
- 5. They may be family, but they are different from you.
- 6. When you don't understand, let it go.
- 7. It's okay to be detached at the office.
- 8. Don't isolate yourself. But don't be cliquey, either.
- 9. Don't keep watch over someone's every move.
- 10. Commit to observing, not intervening.
- 11. Savor your alone time.
- 12. You cannot do what you cannot do.
- 13. Abide by fate.
- 14. Resist a reductive analysis of profit and loss.
- 15. Don't be manipulated by social media.
- 16. "Be humble, be humble, be humble."
- 17. Widen the sphere of good cheer.
- 18. Set aside your feelings.
- 19. Do not pursue those who leave.
- 20. Leave past glories in the past.
- 21. Be wary of negative people.
- Part 2. Don't worry about every little thing.
- How to relinquish anxiety, impatience, and anger
- 22. If you can't be certain about it, stop worrying about it.
- 23. Become skilled at forgetting.
- 24. Be more at ease.
- 25. Take off the "good person" mask.
- 26. Do not measure yourself against the average.
- 27. Worrying about everyone else is a losing proposition.
- 28. Appreciate what makes everyone different.
- 29. Don't be surprised by broken promises.
- 30. "Well, these things happen."
- 31. Don't curate yourself.
- 32. If you're going to judge yourself, do it against your "yesterday self."
- 33. Immediately put the things you've done for others out of mind.
- 34. Always reflect on yourself.
- 35. Give thanks to those who supported you.
- 36. Pay no mind to minor differences.
- 37. Learn to turn difficult experiences into amusing stories.
- 38. Stop regretting and start reflecting.
- 39. Dispose of things you don't use.
- 40. Relinquish rather than throw away.
- Part 3. Be measured in your reactions.
- Practices that won't wear down your spirit
- 41. Don't take everything at face value.
- 42. Choose when to block out information.
- 43. Don't binge on information.
- 44. Don't waver so easily.
- 45. Admit what you don't know with dignity.
- 46. "Slow down, slow down, slow down."
- 47. Be aware of wastefulness.
- 48. Don't get involved in things that don't concern you.
- 49. Express yourself judiciously.
- 50. Pause for a moment before replying.
- 51. Slow down.
- 52. Don't allow sadness to linger.
- 53. "Wow. I can be so small-minded."
- 54. Live your life independently and to the fullest.
- 55. Try to see things from a different perspective.
- 56. Rethink the adage "He who knows little often repeats it."
- 57. Take to heart the maxim "To each their own."
- 58. Don't expect too much.
- 59. Immerse yourself in the task at hand.
- 60. Your personal circumstances are almost never other people's concern.
- 61. Don't be swayed by trends.
- Part 4. Don't waste your energy.
- Ways to avoid making things more difficult for yourself
- 62. Look on the bright side.
- 63. Don't get stuck in a never-ending cycle.
- 64. Be confident in your own approach.
- 65. Dedicate yourself to your role.
- 66. Make a small change every day.
- 67. "Right here, right now, this you."
- 68. "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
- 69. Work is fluid and dynamic.
- 70. Don't push things off to tomorrow.
- 71. Cultivate your strengths.
- 72. Don't force things-on yourself or anyone else.
- 73. Let go of "because he's a man" or "because she's a woman."
- 74. Academic qualifications ≠ work qualifications.
- 75. Avoid making decisions at night.
- 76. Don't give up on yourself or give yourself too much credit.
- 77. Steer clear of calamity.
- 78. Refrain from ingratiating yourself.
- 79. Whittle down your options.
- 80. Protect yourself against battle fatigue.
- 81. Up your planning game.
- Part 5. Don't see everything as black or white.
- Hints for living a comfortable life
- 82. There is no such thing in life as fortune or misfortune.
- 83. Things are not inherently good or bad.
- 84. All of your choices are the right ones.
- 85. Block out the voices of others.
- 86. Regret is nothing more than a delusion.
- 87. A failure is little more than a stumble.
- 88. Slow and steady wins the race.
- 89. Hoist up your dreams rather than holding them close.
- 90. Take a break, especially when you're busy.
- 91. Nobody is "normal."
- 92. Do not look down on others, even when you're victorious.
- 93. Extinguish the spark of conflict.
- 94. You won't win anyone over just with logic.
- 95. Be willing to cede some ground.
- 96. "All things come from nothingness."
- 97. Seek your own personal mission from within.
- 98. Live freely and easily.
- 99. Do your best.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review