If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

This is something my husband has taught me, and it works like a stop sign when I obsess about the wrong things. The brain is a wonderful thing that can solve lots of problems, but sometimes it tries to solve things that are already fine, and that can create problems.

When I was in third grade, my teachers wanted to encourage us to write stories. They cut out a lot of pictures from magazines, and we were told to choose one to write about. The pictures were supposed to inspire us, but it completely blocked me. Why? Because I had my own ideas. I wrote all the time. Having someone else’s idea of inspiration shoved in my face just shut me down.

Now, I’m not blaming my teachers. They did what they thought would help. But if I’d had the words for it, I would have told them, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Those pictures probably helped a lot of other kids, but one method never works for everyone. If someone already has their own method, why meddle?