# Year of the ZAO – Day 362

> Everyone’s a Teacher, Even When It’s Annoying

**Published by:** [The ZAO Newsletter](https://paragraph.com/@thezao/)
**Published on:** 2025-12-28
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@thezao/year-of-the-zao-day-362

## Content

ZM Sunday momentum is still very real over here. The ZAO and ZABAL worlds don’t really do “off” days — just different gears. Projects moving forward, ideas stacking up, conversations unfolding in real time. Even when things feel quieter on the outside, the internal engine is always running. Today’s mindful moment comes from Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and it’s one that challenges me daily. The idea is simple and uncomfortable: imagine everyone else is enlightened except you. Every interaction becomes a lesson. The slow line, the sharp comment, the energy that rubs the wrong way. Instead of asking why someone’s acting a certain way, you ask what they might be here to teach you. Patience. Compassion. Letting go. I struggle with this constantly, but this lesson always helps me take a step back before reacting. That pause alone can change the whole day. If something tests you today, pause long enough to see what it might be trying to teach you. – BetterCallZaal on behalf of the ZAO Team

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