BOOK REVIEW: Don't Sweat The Small Stuff About Money by Richard Carlson Ph.D.

by Bonnie Boots

It's strange how close you can feel to a writer you've never met. I've had Richard Carlson on my bookshelves for quite a while, in the form of his Don't Sweat The Small Stuff series. I guess seeing his name there, having his words at hand, somehow gave me the notion that he was part of my life. But I ran smack up against hard reality today when I came across his obituary and discovered he died in Dec of 2006.

Carlson's death must have been all over the news. He was a well-respected speaker and author of more than 30 books. His best-selling Don't Sweat The Small Stuff made publishing history. The passing of someone with so public a persona does not go unmentioned.

But I missed it. Somewhere in-between the babble about Paris Hilton's shenanigans and American Idol-atry, I missed it.

So it hit me with a cold, hard fist when I sat down to write a review of Don't Sweat The Small Stuff About Money, looked on-line for his photo and discovered he was gone.

He's been gone for more than a year and a half, and obviously he's still in my life in the only way I ever knew him, through his books. But my emotional reaction to news of his death says something about how deeply his words touched me.

Richard Carlson did not write deep, impenetrable books. You can read any one of them in an afternoon. But he had a gift for taking deep, impenetrable philosophies and putting them into simple, easy-to-absorb language. His love for people shone through so clearly in his writing that you knew he wasn't just mouthing platitudes when he assured you that love, gratitude and kindness were the keys to a joyful and abundant life.

Carlson's message, that you don't have to be rich to live an abundant life, is especially important in an age when so many people are constantly stressed in their pursuit of "MORE!"

Stress and fear, Carlson says, actually get in the way of our ability to make money. His advice is to calm down, reflect, and learn about the relationship between moods and money. If you indulge in scarcity thinking, Carlson warns, you'll always be in fear that there won't be enough for you. That kind of thinking, he says, encourages bad decision making, like taking a job that's not right for you because you fear another may not come along.

The world is actually filled with ever-increasing abundance, Carlson says, and if we each focus on discovering and developing our own unique gifts and talents, we'll find an endless stream of opportunities for using them to make money.

Carlson combines motivational pep talk with specific financial strategies which, when put into action, can powerfully impact your life. I especially like his advice to set aside two year's living expenses. Doing so, he says, will ensure you never need to worry about losing your job or your business. Being free of this fear, he says, puts you in a better position to make wise decisions.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff About Money is an expanded version of a book first published as Don't Worry, Make Money. Carlson combines practical philosophy with pertinent financial advice delivered in 100 brief chapters, each short enough to read in a few minutes.

The philosophy of each chapter is expressed in its title, such as "Express Your Gratitude Toward Others." "Think BIG!" "Ask for What You Want." That philosophy is then expressed through an anecdote and a bit of explanation. In Chapter 15, for example, "Remind Yourself That Your Life Begins Now," Carlson reminds us not to let our past rule our present by pointing out that a ship's wake does not steer the vessel. It's up to us, he says, to decide each day in which direction to steer.

Carlson may be gone, but his words are still here to offer focus and guidance. Being self-employed carries with it many financial challenges, not the least of which is our own thoughts and feelings about money. If you constantly worry about money and fear that opportunities are passing you buy, get your hands on a copy of Dr. Richard Carlson's Don't Sweat The Small Stuff About Money.

You can buy it new, but if money is tight, used copies are available at Amazon.com starting at one cent.

That's right. A penny for his thoughts.

Personally, I think it would make him smile.

FREE reprint rights available when you include this author's box:

Bonnie Boots is the publisher/editor of The Internet Wizards Magazine for people who want to create their own products and market on the internet. Register for your free 1-year subscription at http://www.theinternetwizards.com