I Felt Like an Idiot

For the most part, I am a rule follower. I get my teeth cleaned twice a year, I regularly change my furnace filters, and I pay my bills on time.

Late last fall, I was getting close to needing new tires. I knew I had a very long road trip coming up, and winter was fast approaching. With all this in mind, before I departed for my trip, I made an appointment to get new tires.

The process went smoothly, and a few weeks later, I hit the road feeling safe. After two days in the car, as I pulled into my Airbnb driveway, I noticed the low tire pressure light was on.

I was concerned that maybe I had damaged a tire on the drive, run over a nail in a construction zone, or maybe this is just what happens with new tires. As a rule follower, I decided not to ignore the warning.  

I headed down the street to a local gas station and put $2 in quarters into a machine that would allow me to check my tire pressure and add air as needed. I noticed that the front two tires were a little low, but the back tires were fine. I felt good about my decision to address this, and I headed back to my Airbnb. However, once again, as I pulled into the driveway, I noticed that the low tire pressure light was on.

The next day, I returned to the gas station. My hope was that I could put this problem to rest. I inserted my $2 only to discover that the tire pressure in each tire was fine. I drove back to my Airbnb, frustrated that the low tire pressure light was still on. Later that day, I went to an AutoZone and bought a digital tire pressure gauge, and I confirmed what I already knew – the tires had the right amount of air. Urgh.

I began to worry that there was a bigger issue at play. What if the light was on because there was something wrong with the electrical system? What if this was going to cost thousands of dollars to repair? Who was I going to trust with my car maintenance when I was so far from home? What if I needed a new car? This quickly felt very overwhelming.

I began to research local Honda dealerships. I selected the one with the highest reviews, and I made an appointment. However, while lying in bed that night, I went down the rabbit hole of researching “Honda Civic tire pressure warning light issues.”  I watched countless videos and began reading articles. This only sent me into a more fearful place. I could feel it, bad news was looming in the air. I was in trouble. The end was near. I had gone from zero to worst-case scenario.

And then I read one line in an article. It mentioned something about the tire pressure light staying on after you hit the tire pressure reset button. Wait, what is the tire pressure reset button?

Come to find out, there is a purpose for the button that is on the left of my dashboard. Who knew after you put air in your tires that you needed to hit the reset button? Well, maybe you knew, but I didn’t, and I felt like an idiot. How did I not know this?

I walked out of my Airbnb at 2 am – because I had been doom-scrolling for hours – and I started my car, hit the reset button, and the light went off. I was relieved.

There are two lessons I hope you can take from this.

First, most things in life have a reset button. Sometimes what seems insurmountable just requires that we hit reset. It works with tires, and it works with humans too. It’s important to know where the reset button is.

Second, when you notice that someone has unexplainably gone from zero to worst-case scenario, it is important to remember that they reacted that way for a reason. What seems illogical, irrational, and ridiculous to you likely makes total sense to them.

At 2am in that Airbnb driveway, I felt like an idiot. Looking back, my response of doom seems disproportionate to the problem I was facing, but I know exactly where my reaction came from.

Two decades ago, I was having a nice weekend with friends, and life couldn’t have felt better. The next day I woke up in excruciating pain. After countless doctor’s appointments, medical exams, and hospital visits, I was told I needed life-saving surgery.

Overnight my life went from zero to worse-case scenario. I am still unpacking that experience, and occasionally I catch myself reacting as if I were back in that moment. I know I am not the only one who sometimes overreacts due to past experiences.

The next time you go from zero to worst-case scenario, I want to encourage you to ask yourself, “Where is the reset button?” And when you notice someone else reacting in a way that doesn’t make sense to you, please, help them to find the reset button.

The truth is, you may not know why someone reacted the way they did, but they will certainly notice how you responded to them. We all need helpers who will direct us to the reset button because no one wants to feel like an idiot.

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