I’m convinced that a significant amount of the stress in my life comes from assuming I know what other people are thinking. Case in point: after being away on vacation, my yard was a mess this week. The grass was overgrown and there were weeds everywhere. It finally got mowed Saturday afternoon, but every time I saw it this week, I felt anxious and guilty. I feel this way every time the yard becomes overgrown, and it has nothing to do with the grass. If I lived on some remote parcel of land far from any other houses, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. I care because I don’t want my neighbors to think poorly of me. I assume that they are judging me every time they drive by my house or look out their windows.
