Richard Carlson Quotes

43 Sourced Quotes

Reflection is one of the most underused yet powerful tools for success.

Richard Carlson
Our way through life should not be difficult — but it is. The fact is that our lives are filled mostly with picking and choosing. "I want this, but not that." And because things are not anything other than the way they really are, we suffer. Nowhere is this more apparent and painful than when we are trying to find life after death. We so desperately want things to be the way they were. But they are not. So the longing itself becomes an additional source of suffering.

Richard Carlson
The trick is to be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low.

Richard Carlson
When you take time, often to reflect on the miracle of life - the miracle that you are even able to read this book - the gift of sight, of love and all the rest, it can hep to remind you that many of the things that you think as "big stuff" are really just "small stuff" that you are turning into big tuff

Richard Carlson
What interferes with this peaceful feeling is our expectation of reciprocity.

Richard Carlson
Mistakes are really not that big of a deal. in fact, as most of us acknowledge we need to make mistakes in order to learn and grow

Richard Carlson
If, however, you take a moment to observe how you actually feel immediately after you criticise someone, you'll notice that you will feel a little deflated and ashamed, almost like you're the one who has been attacked. The reason this is true is that when we criticise, it's a statement to the world and to ourselves, "I have a need to be critical." This isn't something we are usually proud to admit.

Richard Carlson
Ask yourself: Is there any way I can become even more loving than I am? Can I fill my heart with more loving kindness? Can you, despite the fact that there are less than perfect people in our world, think loving thoughts about yourself and about others? Spread that love around as far as your mind will allow!

Richard Carlson
The shortest distance between two points is an intention and this is certainly the case when it comes to becoming more loving to oneself and to others. We must first have the desire and then the intention and commitment to be a source of love — this means that rather than waiting for the world to be more loving, we decide that we will be the first one to reach out and act loving — no matter what!

Richard Carlson
Try to maintain the perspective that, in time, everything disintegrates and returns to its initial form.

Richard Carlson
One of the most dynamic and significant changes you can make in your life is to make the commitment to drop all negative references to your past, to begin living now.

Richard Carlson
As you begin to eliminate your need for perfection in all areas of your life, you'll begin to discover the perfection in life itself

Richard Carlson
Healing from a loss is a natural process of life — just as healing from a broken bone is too. Knowing this in the midst of pain is of great comfort.
If it's at all possible, don't be alone. Seek out the comfort and help you need and deserve. This is not the time to be brave or strong. Instead it's the time to reach out to others and to be open to receive their kindness. It's your turn. Finding life after death is among the greatest challenges we face. But it is possible, and it will happen for you. I send you my love. :)

Richard Carlson
Find your true path. It's so easy to become someone we don't want to be, without even realizing it's happening. We are created by the choices we make every day. And if we take action in order to please some authority figure, we'll suddenly wake up down the road and say, This isn't me. I never wanted to be this person.

Richard Carlson
The key to a good life is this: If you're not going to talk about something during the last hour of your life, then don't make it a top priority during your lifetime.

Richard Carlson
It's the recognition that other people's problems, their pain and frustrations, are every bit as real as our own - often far worse. In recognizing this fact and trying to offer some assistance, we open our hearts and greatly enhance our sense of gratitude.

Richard Carlson
The next time you find yourself in an argument, rather than defend your position, see if you can see the other point of view first.

Richard Carlson
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.

Richard Carlson
Make living your life with absolute integrity and kindness your first priority.

Richard Carlson
Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.

Richard Carlson
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.

Richard Carlson
Rather than being afraid to ask for help, remember this: When you ask someone to help you, you are actually doing them a tremendous favor by giving them an opportunity to feel needed.

Richard Carlson
Learning to stop sweating the small stuff involves deciding what things to engage in and what things to ignore. From a certain perspective, life can be described as a series of mistakes, one right after another with a little space in between.

Richard Carlson
Ironically, when you surrender your need to hog the glory, the attention you used to need from other people is replaced by a quiet inner confidence that is derived from letting others have it.

Richard Carlson
Do Something Nice for Someone Else — and Don't Tell Anyone About It

Richard Carlson
Let Go of the Idea that Gentle, Relaxed People Can't Be Superachievers

Richard Carlson
There is a bumper sticker that has been out for some time now. You see it on cars all across the nation. It says, "Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty." I have no idea who thought of this idea, but I've never seen a more important message on a car in front of me.
Practicing random kindness is an effective way to get in touch with the joy of giving without expecting anything in return. It's best practiced without letting anyone know what you are doing.

Richard Carlson
Meanwhile, life keeps moving forward. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?

Richard Carlson
We deny the parts of ourselves that we deem unacceptable rather than accepting the fact that we're all less than perfect.

Richard Carlson
Even though we often mess up, most of us are doing the best that we know how with the circumstances that surround us.

Richard Carlson