Book Summary Preview : How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Key ideas

Learn to accept and cooperate with the inevitable, and avoid worrying about either the past or the future. Put past mistakes behind you and move on. Don't concern yourself with minor things. Change your mental attitude and stay positive.

Live in "daytight"compartments (segments) in which you focus on the present and what you can do today. Don't carry over too much to the next compartment. Today is your most precious possession, don't waste it.

You will worry less if you analyze the problem so you can do something about it. Get busy with something else; preferably something constructive. This technique works well, because the human mind cannot think of more than one thing at a time.

Carnegie recommends that you review the basic principles in this book and think about how you can apply them. Keep a diary showing how and when you used the various ideas, and review your progress periodically. Consider how to improve the way you employ these principles, so that you will worry less and less.

Put the past behind you and focus on the present: Often when you worry you are thinking about the past and blaming yourself for what you have done wrong. On the other hand, do not become anxious about the future: Thinking about the future can be another source of worry. While it's important to carefully think about and plan for future developments, don't become too anxious about it.

Another way to avoid worrying is to analyze your situation and determine what is the worst that could possibly happen. Accept the possibility, but at the same time focus your time and energy on trying to "improve upon the worst."This approach works well because it provides a psychological release of energy. When you accept the worst, you have nothing more to lose. Do what you can to improve upon the situation, and move on. Certainly, fight hard if you can change the situation. But if you can't, put it in the past and move on.

It is a good idea to be aware of the dangers of worry itself. When you worry, you become tense and nervous, and so worry actually affects your bodily chemistry. It can produce illness and ulcers. One Mayo Clinic study showed that about a third of the business executives studied, who had an average age of 44, suffered from three ailments associated with high-tension heart disease, ulcers and high blood pressure. So worrying is truly dangerous for your health. Remind yourself of how costly worry can be. You'll live longer if you worry less.