A few weeks ago, I smashed a hole through my bathroom sink. I was applying deodorant when it slipped from my hand – when I looked down, there was a gaping 5cm hole in the corner of the white ceramic.

I was very annoyed. Firstly, how could my deodorant smash a hole through a sink? It barely weighed 200g and was the size of my palm. Secondly, how much would it cost to fix this? My mind ran to the worst possible scenario: getting it replaced. Which would cost close to $100.

This mood plagued me for a few days until I shared this to my family and partner. Chatting to them revealed a different way of framing the situation: by treating this as an opportunity, not a setback. They suggested that I could try fixing the sink myself, or use this event to teach myself something about sinks.

Framing my situation as an opportunity rather than a setback changed everything. I became less moody and more curious. The thought of the sink made me excited rather than guilty. It turned the whole situation around.

Our attitudes to circumstances are everything. A “setback” mentality sets one up for misery and wallowing. An “opportunity” mentality makes one excited and curious for any challenge.

The choice is yours.