If a mistake really stings, pay attention. It’s pointing at something you care about.

The size of the sting tracks the size of the caring. A bad mark in a subject you were never invested in is forgotten by lunch, while a small fumble in the thing you actually want keeps replaying for a week. That ache is unpleasant and also a map, showing you where you quietly put your hopes.

When something will not stop bothering you, ask what it says you wanted. Then do one small thing in that direction instead of replaying the moment. The caring is worth keeping even when the memory is not.