My favourite cartoon of all time is Archer. It features a smart-mouthed, wisecracking superspy named Sterling Archer. I love it so much that both my boys’ middle names share a connection to the show.

Pre-parenthood, I always watched an episode before bed. But when my partner became pregnant with our first child, I worried I’d have to abandon the practice because the baby would be sleeping in with us, and we’d have to be quiet. It seems a silly thing to be concerned about, but it’s true. I had grown attached to my evening routine, and Archer was part of it.

But I was wrong.

Nothing changed.

Well, everything changed. I became a father, but one who would still enjoy watching Archer before bed, even if I fell asleep in less than five minutes.

This reminds me how the things that cause us anxiety are compounded by our thoughts. Because what I feared never came to pass. I’ve used a cartoon as an example here, but I see other examples in my life all the time. What if I lose my job? What if something happens to my boys? What if something happens to me and I can’t look after my family?

None of this is healthy.

It’s one thing to plan for the future and another to be consumed by what you cannot know.

So, I work hard each day to banish those thoughts and instead focus on living in the present.

Seneca said: We suffer more in imagination than in reality.

He was right.

How are you kids today? Right now? Focus on that.