Not Every Mess Needs a Meltdown

Lesson of the Day: Put Your Backpack on Your Lap

Or you might end up with a nicely moisturized bag… and stationery covered in hand cream 😂

This morning, I was on my commute listening to a podcast called LYSS. Even though it’s the end of March, I was tuning into a “start your year right” series and reflecting on lessons I could still apply now.

I was feeling good. Calm. Positive.

Somewhere between the subway ride and waiting for my bus, I decided to open my bag and jot down a “good morning” playlist idea on my phone.

That’s when I saw it.

White cream. Everywhere.

At first, I panicked.
“What is going on? How did this even happen?”

It was perfectly fine earlier.

Then I retraced my steps and realized—for almost 50 minutes on the subway, I had been sitting back, completely relaxed… with my backpack behind me the whole time.

No wonder the hand cream burst.

I was so caught up in the positivity that I forgot to be aware of my surroundings.

And honestly? That part isn’t even bad. It means I was present, relaxed, and enjoying the moment.

But now I know:
When I want to relax, listen to something good, or just unwind during my commute—I should put my backpack on my lap or beside me where there’s no pressure.

Crisis avoided next time.

At first, I started getting mad at myself. The negative thoughts were ready:
“I just bought this yesterday.”
“That was so stupid.”
“What a waste.”

But then, after cleaning it up, I noticed something…

My bag smelled kind of nice.

And I just laughed.

I paused the spiral and thought:
“Well… my bag smells better now.”

It wasn’t the end of the world. Nothing was ruined—just messy. It’ll dry. I’ll replace the hand cream (and store it better next time).

And weirdly, it turned into something positive:

– I learned a simple but useful lesson
– My bag smells great now
– I have an excuse to go find a new hand cream (and maybe a few extra things I need)

So instead of letting it ruin my day, I turned it into a story.

Sometimes, things go wrong in the smallest, most inconvenient ways.

But not everything deserves a negative ending.

Sometimes… it’s just a funny lesson.