Good morning, happy Tuesday – May 6, 2025 in the Year of the ZAO: Day 126.

Today’s reflection hits close — it’s my favorite lesson from Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, and one I constantly have to revisit: If someone throws you the ball, you don’t have to catch it.

This line lives rent-free in my head. It’s a reminder that not every problem tossed your way is yours to carry. People will call, vent, demand, or expect your time, and if you’re like me, your instinct is to respond. To help. To fix. But that reflex can pull you away from what really matters — your peace, your time, your mission.

In a season of building, creating, and trying to hold space for the future, I’ve been learning to drop the ball more often. Not out of disrespect, but from respect for my own boundaries. You don’t owe your emotional labor to every request. You don’t have to answer the phone if your mind’s not in it. You don’t have to let criticism land if it doesn’t belong to you.

That doesn’t mean I’m closing off — just being selective about what I catch. Some throws I’ll let bounce.

This is the mindset I’m carrying today — back in Maine, slowing down just enough to notice when the drama isn’t mine to carry.
– BetterCallZaal on behalf of the ZAO Team