Throw It Behind Your Back There was a girl named Dana who was the kind of person who would keep thinking about something all day, whether it was something small or something serious. One day, she came home from work feeling angry and worried. As soon as she walked into the house, she threw her bag on the chair and sat down on the couch. Her mother asked her: “What’s wrong?” Dana said: “Today, my manager told me that I had made a mistake at work.” Her mother asked: “So what happened? What’s the big deal?” “Nothing… I just kept thinking about what she said the whole way home. Maybe she’s upset with me. Maybe she wants to fire me. Maybe I’m not even good at my job…” Her mother laughed and said: “Wait a minute! Did she tell you that you were fired?” “No.” “Did she tell you that you don’t know what you’re doing?” “No.” “Then what did she say?” Dana paused and said: “She just told me that I need to pay more attention.” Her mother said: “And you turned one comment into a disaster? Forget about it, sweetheart. Throw it behind your back. Nothing is worth all this worrying!” Dana wasn’t convinced and spent the whole night thinking about it. The next day, she went to work feeling nervous. Every little thing her manager did, Dana interpreted as a sign that she was upset with her. If her manager stayed quiet, Dana thought: “She must be angry with me.” If she asked Dana to do something, she thought: “She must be testing me.” And if she smiled at another coworker, Dana thought to herself: “Clearly, she doesn’t want to talk to me anymore.” That afternoon, her manager called her into the office. Dana walked in with her heart pounding. Her manager said: “Dana, I want to talk to you about your work yesterday.” Dana’s mouth went dry from fear, and she said: “Sure…” Her manager smiled and said: “To be honest, I was a little harsh when I spoke to you. But overall, your work is excellent. I just want you to pay a little more attention to the details.” Dana remained silent. Her manager continued: “And by the way, I’ve chosen you to be in charge of the new project.” Dana’s eyes widened. “Me?” “Yes, you.” Dana walked out of the office in disbelief. When she got home, her mother asked: “So, what happened?” Dana laughed and said: “Turns out everything I was worried about was just in my head!” Her mother put a cup of coffee in front of her and said: “That’s why, when you’re worried about something you have no control over, throw it behind your back. Not every thought that comes into your head deserves to take over your life.”