The real problem isn’t the problem

This week started with a slight touch of panic.

When I got to my car, the key was gone. I searched everywhere, weighing my options to save the day.

Then I remembered — it had been raining the last time I left the car. I checked the raincoat in my backpack, and there it was. What a relief.

On the way to the first job, I thought about it.

I have a spare key at home, so it was never a big deal. Worst case, I’d call the client, be a few minutes late, and let my employer know.

Easy-peasy… and still that panicky reaction.

Why? It didn’t help. It didn’t change anything. The reaction didn’t match the situation.

Maybe it wasn’t so much about the key. Maybe it was more about feeling like an idiot. About looking careless. About what others might think.

That’s often the real “problem”, isn’t it? Not the thing itself, but the story we tell ourselves about it.

The drama plays out in our heads. Out here in the real world, it’s rarely as bad as it seems. Most of the time, it’s actually quite fine.