By Wes

I went downstairs to Island Radio to grab a coffee, and as I came back up, I checked the mailbox. Nothing unusual about the routine. Coffee in one hand, a few unread envelopes in the other.

Then I opened one.

A $4,000 fine.

No warning. No explanation. Just four bold numbers and a sudden tightness in my chest.

I actually laughed. Not a real laugh. One of those hollow, of-course-this-is-happening laughs.

That same morning, a deal I had been nursing for weeks fell over. Not a slow fade. Just done. And to top it off, the dishwasher gave out mid-cycle and never turned back on. It groaned a little, almost in solidarity, then died completely.

They say things come in threes. That morning made me believe it.

There is a particular kind of overwhelm that shows up when you are not running at full strength. You are tired. Stretched. Maybe a bit burnt out. And suddenly, small things stop feeling small. That dishwasher doesn’t just break. It pushes you over the edge. That fine doesn’t just cost money. It triggers an avalanche of frustration. That lost deal feels like a personal hit.

I sat there, coffee going cold, just staring at the fine. I did not have the energy to fight it. Everything felt heavy. And it wasn’t even noon yet.

But the next day, things shifted. I logged into Service NSW, appealed the fine, and changed the name from the company to mine. Just like that, it dropped to $400. Still annoying, but far from catastrophic.

I called a tradesperson I had referred to a client the month before. The dishwasher was fixed that same afternoon.

At work, I picked up the phone and had a few better conversations. A different deal started to take shape. Not a major win. Just movement.

It was the same list of problems, but with a clearer head, they all shrank back to size.

That change reminded me of something I have been leaning on more and more. As much as it might sound a little out there, gratitude journaling, daily affirmations, and a bit of mindfulness have been real anchors for me lately.

Nothing complicated. I jot down three to five things I am grateful for in the morning. Then I write a few affirmations to remind myself that I have handled worse. A few minutes of stillness before the day kicks off. It helps.

It does not make the chaos go away. But it gives me a better position to meet it from.

The exact same events, seen through a steadier lens, become manageable. That fine? Just paperwork. The dishwasher? A small repair. The lost deal? A redirection.

I see this all the time in real estate. Buyers or sellers hit a hiccup. A finance delay. A low valuation. A clause in the contract that needs reworking. Suddenly the whole thing feels like it is falling apart. But most of the time, it isn’t. With a clear head, you can usually find a way through.

So this week, I am reminding myself, and maybe you need to hear it too, that perspective is everything. A good night’s sleep. A bit of stillness. Writing something down. Taking a beat before reacting.

Sometimes that is all it takes to turn a rough morning into just another day at the office.

And maybe fix the dishwasher before it tries to teach you a life lesson.