Book cover for Don't Worry: 48 Lessons on Relieving Anxiety from a Zen Buddhist Monk by Shunmyo Masuno

Don't Worry

48 Lessons on Relieving Anxiety from a Zen Buddhist Monk

2022 Released
224 Pages
1-2 Hours
★ 3.66 1,230 ratings
Audiobook Unavailable
Paperback Unavailable
Penguin LifeISBN 9780525508212
Translated by Allison Markin Powell

Discover why 90% of your worries won’t come true in this highly practical, internationally bestselling guide by the renowned Zen Buddhist author of The Art of Simple Living and How to Let Things Go.

Think of a time when you were worried about something, but then you suddenly realized how insignificant it was. Isn’t it amazing how much lighter you felt? The key is to focus only on the here and now. By doing so, you free yourself from unnecessary anxiety, and your mind will be at peace. In Don’t Worry, you will learn to:

  • Lesson #1: stop comparing yourself to others—90% of your obsessions will disappear;
  • Lesson #4: remove unnecessary things from your life and make your life absolutely simple;
  • Lesson #10: stop seeking, stop rushing, stop obsessing;
  • Lesson #11: interpret things positively—you are the one to decide whether you are happy or not;
  • Lesson #14: stop taking in too much information;
  • Lesson #19: take a break from competition—it’s the Zen way of avoiding anxiety;
  • Lesson #24: act instead of worrying—things will definitely work out better.

By following this book’s 48 simple lessons—and taking to heart the nearly 30 zengo, or Zen sayings, quoted throughout—you’ll enjoy a calmer, more relaxed, more positive version of yourself.

A PENGUIN LIFE TITLE

Shunmyo Masuno

More by Shunmyo Masuno

Allison Markin Powell

Translated by

Allison Markin Powell is a literary translator, editor, and publishing consultant. She received the 2020 PEN America Translation Prize for The Ten Loves of Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami. Her other translations and co-translations include works by Osamu Dazai, Shiori Ito, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and Kaoru Takamura.

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