Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Women
   Kristine Carlson
  2001 Hyperion
    ISBN: 0786886021


Women lead incredibly full lives nowadays, with little time to relax. Here are lessons on how to find that small, still center & live with more joy & peace in this chaotic world.

Do you sweat all the small stuff in your life? Are you ready to look at & address your “issues”? When you get upset, does it last forever?

Thanks to our foremothers, we women have, for the most part, never had it so good! We have more independence, options & conveniences -- so why are we sweating our way through our rich, full lives?

Somehow, in this gender-equal paradise, we are expected & we expect ourselves to do it all -- all the time! We've become veritable multi-task super women. We're amazingly resilient & strong -- we excel when the stakes are high. So, what happens when we become overwhelmed? We get nitpicky, petty, uptight & tense -- to put it politely -- everyone knows what we're called in impolite circles!

As Kristine Carlson writes in her Introduction: “...when Richard asked me to write solo for the first time...part of me wanted to hightail it as fast as I could in the other direction!...I knew, after some contemplation, that this would be a challenge and a part of my own spiritual journey that I simply could not refuse...”

Remember the bumper sticker: I am Woman I am invincible I am tired? Where do we get the idea we have to be Wonder Woman? Well, Kristine has some funny & sensible ideas.

“...to one degree or another most of us have struggled with body image, family choices, budgets, men, friends, lifestyle, time management, communication issues, parenting, and balance...”

She offers ways in which we can Get Off to a Peaceful Start; how to Cut Your Friends Some Slack & how to Stop Comparing Yourself to the Media Measuring Stick.

“...I've created strategies that are easy to implement...to show you a way to value yourself...connect with your spirit, give yourself more time, inspire new perspective, or help you to let go of the little things that bother you...”

It's all common sense -- & as we so well know -- we women have just got to have permission -- Kristine Carlson gives us that permission -- in timely essays about everything imaginable from getting down & dirty to letting go of our perfect plans; from protecting our inner flame to saying no without feeling guilty.

No stone on the grave of our mirth & joie de vivre is left unturned by this ebullient, fluent writer -- just let her ideas percolate -- don't dash off insisting that you obey her every suggestion -- remember -- Don't Sweat the Small Stuff! Take a breath, let her ideas simmer -- look at your life -- measure your misery & then take that first, baby step to a more compassionate, humorous & fulfilling experience of living.

Enjoy the essays, connect the dots & Don't Sweat the Small Stuff!

More from the Carlsons:
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff For Teens
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff With Your Family
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...And It's All Small Stuff
(06/24/01)

Rebecca