I nearly drove myself mad last week. Not to mention my husband.

What on earth happened to cause this state of affairs, you ask?

Well, I “lost” a series of files. Ever done that? Ever known, at the very core of your being, that the last time you saw them they were at the bottom right hand corner of your desk….but when you go to look for them, they’re not there. Well, that’s what happened to me.

I’ve been through this before, you know - many a time. There’ve even been family “discussions” on the subject and the need (that is, my need) to be better organized! In fact, I want you to know that I’ve even had the distinction of being singled out for my “incredible talent for losing things”!

And last week they almost had me believing that.

Notwithstanding all my efforts to “finish one task before starting another”, to “have a place for everything”, and ask myself “where would I expect to find this, if I were looking for it?” - and to then put the item in that place, and nowhere else! ..the files were still l “lost”. So, what could I do but believe them?

Well you know, I DON’T lose things. I merely misplace them. Cannot find them. Nor can I always immediately recall where I’ve put them! But they’re not lost.

It seemed important to prove the point – to myself, if no-one else! Yet after hours of searching, tipping my office upside down, quietly chanting “where would you expect to find them?” “where would you expect to find them?” – they were still nowhere to be found.

I was annoyed. Frustrated. I’d developed a system, but it had failed me. Or rather I’d failed it. How stupid can one be?

It was just then I had a moment of marvelous recall.

As a kid, I’d always thought the smart ones were those with all the answers. As I’ve “matured” I’ve come to appreciate how everything hinges on “asking the right questions”!

Ah ha! So, where WAS it that I had last had or used those files?

And there they were!

Pretty smart, huh?

Now, ... if I could just remember to believe that...