A day in the life : Day 401

A few days back, I misplaced my wallet while running errands. It wasn’t even about the money — just the hassle of canceling cards, retracing steps, and that uneasy feeling of losing something important. I spent half the evening trying to recall every place I’d been, checking bags, pockets, even under car seats. Nothing.

Eventually, I gave up for the night. Frustration faded into tired acceptance. I told myself, “Alright, lesson learned — be more careful.” The next morning, I found it wedged between two grocery bags I had shoved aside. I should’ve felt relieved, but instead, I laughed. I’d wasted hours of worry on something that was never really gone.

It made me think — that’s exactly how we handle most of our problems. We panic too early, assume the worst, and exhaust ourselves before the situation even plays out. The mind jumps to conclusions long before reality does.

That small incident reminded me that not every problem deserves instant panic. Sometimes you just need to pause, breathe, and give things space to sort themselves out.

Ever since then, I’ve tried to slow down my reactions — to let a few minutes pass before assuming the sky is falling. It’s not easy, but it helps. Most of the time, what feels urgent in the moment looks much smaller a few hours later. And I think that’s a skill worth practicing.