Letting Go of the Small Stuff: A Lesson in Perspective

I just read a chapter in The Mom Shift where working moms share their experiences navigating career and motherhood. One story really stood out to me—a mom entrepreneur who constantly reminded herself and her small team, "We are not dealing with life or death here." She believed that nothing was so urgent that it couldn’t wait, a perspective she gained after her young son was diagnosed with cancer. She didn’t want to burden her staff with unnecessary stress or exhaust herself over things that, in the grand scheme of life, weren’t that important.

It really made me think—how often do we impose unnecessary deadlines on ourselves? How often do we stress over things that, in hindsight, really weren’t worth the worry? I think about the pressure I put on myself when I didn’t land a job I interviewed for, when my wedding didn’t go as planned, when home renovations dragged on, or when my kids’ birthday parties didn’t go perfectly. At the time, these things felt huge. But looking back, they were just minor bumps in the road. When compared to something as serious as a child’s illness, they barely register.

Reading this mother’s story moved me to tears. I can’t even handle my kids’ colds and flus without feeling overwhelmed—how do you endure watching your child battle cancer? It puts everything into perspective.

At the end of the day, it’s not about procrastinating or being careless; it’s about recognizing that we often shackle ourselves with stress, forgetting that we hold the key to letting it go. I won’t pretend I’ve mastered this mindset—there are still times when I get worked up over things that don’t really matter. But more and more, I’m learning to pause and ask myself: Will this still feel important tomorrow? Next week? A year from now?

Advice to My Younger Self

Most things are just small stuff. When you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath and take a walk. What you’re imagining in your head is often worse than reality. Save your energy for the truly big challenges—because they will come. And when they do, you’ll need the strength to face them. Don’t waste that energy sweating the small stuff. Your mental health is worth more.