How to Let Things Go: 99 Tips from a Zen Buddhist Monk to Relinquish Control and Free Yourself Up for What Matters

Feeling overwhelmed? Step away from life's mounting demands and free yourself up for what matters with this succinct and sensible guide by the Zen Buddhist author of the international bestsellers The Art of Simple Living and Don't Worry.

Amid the relentless cycle of news, social media, emails, and texts, it can be hard to know when, if ever, we can step away from everything clamoring for our attention. Renowned monk Shunmyo Masuno offers us a radical message: We can leave it all be, and indeed sometimes the best thing we can learn is how to do nothing. A few of the things How to Let Things Go teaches us:

• Lesson #2: Give people space—being caring and being nosy are not the same thing.
• Lesson #13: Follow your goen to good opportunities.
• Lesson #15: Remember that social media is a tool and nothing more.
• Lesson #19: Let farewells be, and leave your relationships to nature.
• Lesson #40: Think of letting things go not as throwing them away, but setting them free.
• Lesson #75: Make decisions in the light of the morning—don't rush into them.
• Lesson #90: Take more breaks the busier you become.

With these and ninety-two other practical tips, we can abandon the futile pursuit of controlling everything in our lives and unlock the key to a fulfilling social life, individual well-being, and a calmer, more focused mind.