Many years ago a friend of mine shared a helpful suggestion with me for dealing with those little frustrations, irritations, and stress than seem to come with our relationships and hectic lives.

We've all experienced being so over stressed that even the smallest of things can make us fly off the handle. There are times when we feel pulled in so many different directions all at once that suddenly something as minor as getting cut off in traffic, the kids tracking mud through the house, the dog chewing up your new slippers, etc., causes us to snap — we shout, rant, rave, say things we don't mean, and so on.

It is these times when we need to stop and ask ourselves, "Is this really going to matter five years from now?" This may sound silly, but it really can help put matters into perspective. Applying this to those things in our relationships and lives which we find annoying and bothersome, can make all the difference in the world. Try it yourself. You'll be surprised how effective this can be, and you just may find yourself chuckling at the situation, rather than over-reacting to it.

The old saying, "Don't sweat the small stuff," is very true indeed. Use this technique the next time you find yourself becoming aggravated over a minor problem or situation. If it's not going to make a difference in your life five years from now, is it really worth all the worry and aggravation now?