#82 : REMEMBER, 100 YEARS FROM NOW, ALL NEW PEOPLE

My good friend Patti recently shared this bit of wisdom with me that she learned from one of her favorite authors. It has added a great deal of perspective to my life.

In the scheme of things, one hundred years isn't all that long a time. However, one thing is for sure: A hundred years from now we will be gone from this planet. And when kept in mind, this idea can fill us with needed perspective during times of perceived crisis or stress.

If you have a flat tire or lock yourself out of your house, what's it going to mean one hundred years from now? How about if someone acted unkindly toward you or if you had to stay up most of the night working? What if your house didn't get cleaned or your computer breaks down? Supposed you can't afford to go on a much needed vacation, buy a new car or move to a larger apartment? All of these things and most others are brought into a deeper perspective when looked at with a-hundred-year view.

Just this morning, I found myself at a mental fork in the road, about to get uptight about a mini crisis at work. There was a double booking and two people showed up at the same time for the same appointment. What saved me from getting overly stressed and too uptight was remembering that one hundred years from now, no one will remember this moment, no one will care. I calmly took responsibility for the error and one of the people was happy to reschedule. As usual, this was "small stuff" that could easily have been turned into "big stuff".

Another Good Stuff: Surrender to the Fact that Life is not Fair.  (Click HERE.)

Acknowledgment: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, and It's All Small Stuff (pp. 203-204) CMK Note : I tried to contact Richard Carlson but was saddened to know that he passed away last 2006. I also tried to reach his other half, Kristine Carlson through this website (http://www.dontsweat.com).