The $86,400 Question

I heard a great story in group today I think everyone should hear.  It has to do with letting trivial things go.  Imagine that you have $86,400 in a bank account.  After a couple of months you check on the account only to find that the balance has decreased to $86,390.  What would you do and what time would you invest in finding out where that $10 went and why?  Speaking for myself, I would spend as much time as it took to find out what happened.  Has my account been accessed by someone else?  Was there some kind of bank fee or surcharge I wasn't aware of?  I would be on the phone with the bank to enlist their help in trying to solve the mystery and correcting it if there was some error or account issue.  Some banks are notorious for long hold times waiting to speak with a representative.  How long would you hold?  20 minutes?  45?  Would you take time out of your day to make a trip to the bank to inquire in person instead?  I'd hold as long as it took, and would go to the bank if I wasn't able to resolve the issue to my satisfaction on the phone.  I'm not an angry person prone to temper issues or outbursts at all so I would remain calm with the representative, whether on the phone or in person, but would you?  If it was a bank error would you vehemently complain or become angry?  Would you take it out on the representative as if it was their fault?  How far would any of us go for $10?  You still have $86.390 remaining after all!  Isn't that a healthy enough chunk of change?  Even if it seems trivial, some might say it's the principle that matters.  Is it really?  For $10?  I have to admit that it would be worth any amount of time and effort to me, even for a measly $10!  Now let's take the monetary aspect out of the problem and look at things a different way.

A great many things in life that add to or cause us anxiety, depression, hostility, or have a direct impact on our self-esteem or self-worth take only 10 seconds.  That person that cut us off in traffic might be one; the guy ahead of us in the express checkout line that has more than 10 items in their cart might be another.  Maybe someone says something that hurts or we feel slighted in some way because of someone else's words or actions.  Even a fleeting thought such as "I look fat today" (or every day in my case ... lol) might be enough to set the tone for the rest of the day.  How many events or thoughts like these that take a mere 10 seconds do we allow to ruin our day?  There are 86,400 seconds in a 24 hour period.  So how much of that time do we devote to such an infinitesimal thing?  Do we recognize it for what it is and let it go?  Or do we ruminate over it for hours, days, maybe even months or longer?  Yes, some things do have a legitimate impact on us and require our attention for longer periods of time, but how often do we give every little thing legitimacy?  Should we really care about the guy with more than 10 items in their basket in the express checkout?  Do we really need to give credence to what someone might think or say that doesn't know us?  I'm guilty of this all the time.  I let the little issues get to me and allow them to cause undue anxiety and stress adding to my depression, and chip away at my sense of self-worth.  Letting go isn't an easy thing to do by any means.  There are issues and emotions I have that I can't seem to let go of that truly need attention and work.  But I can at least start letting go of these little thoughts or events that are insignificant in the grand scheme of things.  Stepping back, taking a deep breath, and counting backwards from 100 by 7's is a good start.  Our group leader recommends this counting technique because it requires more distracting thought than simply counting to 10 or some equivalent.  So the next time you feel impacted by some minor occurrence, ask yourself the $86,400 question.  How much time and investment does it truly deserve?  My guess is your answer will be the same as mine ... let it go and move on to more important things like being grateful, focusing on positive affirmations and finding the joy in life!