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21 October 2026

We sometimes lose the pleasure of a perfectly good day because it did not go according to plan.

The rain arrives when we expected sunshine. A visitor cancels. A task takes twice as long as we imagined. Someone speaks carelessly, leaving us troubled long after the conversation has ended. By afternoon, we may have decided that the day has gone wrong, even though much of it remains ours to enjoy.

There is a curious habit of mind behind this disappointment. We create an invisible picture of how things should unfold, then measure reality against it. The greater the distance between the two, the more dissatisfied we become.

Planning is useful, and disappointment is natural. But perhaps we do not need to let one unwanted event become the verdict on everything that follows.

A delayed journey may offer an unexpected conversation. An afternoon spent at home may become an opportunity to read, call an old friend or simply rest without feeling guilty. Even an unremarkable day can hold a moment worth remembering, provided we have not already dismissed it.

Life rarely offers us a complete version of what we imagined. It offers something less orderly, often more surprising, and sometimes unexpectedly kind.

Tomorrow, make your plans. Do your work. Hope for the things you want.

But if the day takes a different turn, leave a little room for it to become good in its own way.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com