{"id":6060,"date":"2026-02-24T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T06:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/?p=6060"},"modified":"2026-02-26T19:12:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T15:12:44","slug":"waiting-for-the-perfect-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/waiting-for-the-perfect-moment\/","title":{"rendered":"Waiting for the Perfect Moment"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A childhood sticker folder, carefully preserved since age seven, a small but telling example of how we save the things we love for a \u201cspecial day\u201d that often never arrives. (Credit:Qamar)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

You buy something beautiful, and instead of using it, you protect it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The notebook stays wrapped in plastic. The perfume is saved for a future event. The expensive candle sits untouched on a shelf. And somewhere in a childhood drawer, there\u2019s a sticker folder with Hello Kitty, shiny butterflies, flowers, perfectly preserved for a \u201cspecial day\u201d that never arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems harmless. Even sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But why are we so afraid to finish the things we love?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer, according to psychologist Zuhal Alnajar, is rarely about the object itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen something feels special or limited, we attach emotional meaning to it,\u201d she explains. \u201cUsing it can feel like losing it. And loss, even small loss, is uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many of us, this habit starts early. As children, we\u2019re taught not to waste. In homes shaped by financial instability, sanctions, or uncertainty, saving wasn\u2019t optional, it was necessary. You stretched what you had. You kept things \u201cfor later.\u201d You made them last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur nervous system remembers scarcity,\u201d Alnajar says. \u201cEven if your reality has changed, your emotional memory may still operate as if resources are fragile.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That untouched sticker sheet may not be about stickers at all. It may be about safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But scarcity is only one layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also the fear of endings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lighting the candle means watching it slowly disappear. Writing in the perfect notebook means the first page will never be blank again. Using the last sticker means the collection is officially over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEndings remind us that things are temporary,\u201d Alnajar says. \u201cFor some people, even small endings trigger a deeper discomfort with impermanence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we freeze the moment before it begins. We preserve the object in its most flawless state unused, untouched, full of potential. As long as the sticker remains in the folder, the perfect moment to use it still exists somewhere in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s comfort in that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s also avoidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perfectionism often hides inside this behavior. What if you use the sticker on the wrong page? What if the occasion isn\u2019t important enough? What if you regret it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPerfectionism tells us that joy must happen under ideal conditions,\u201d Alnajar explains. \u201cIt creates the illusion that there is a \u2018correct\u2019 moment for pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And because life rarely feels perfectly aligned, we wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wait until we lose weight to wear the outfit.
We wait until we host guests to use the fancy plates.
We wait until something extraordinary happens to open the perfume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, ordinary days pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome people unconsciously believe they have to earn beautiful things,\u201d Alnajar says. \u201cThey postpone enjoyment until they feel more successful, more stable, or more deserving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saving becomes a quiet form of self-denial. We convince ourselves we\u2019re being practical. Responsible. Careful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But sometimes, we are simply afraid to let ourselves enjoy something fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because enjoyment makes the moment real. And real moments are finite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you finally stick the Hello Kitty sticker onto a page, you accept that this is the page. This is the moment. It may not be perfect but it\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that can feel vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alnajar emphasizes that using something you love is not wasteful \u201cObjects are meant to be integrated into our lives,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen we use them, we create memories. When we preserve them indefinitely, we suspend experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The irony is that in trying to protect joy, we often postpone it indefinitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sticker folder doesn\u2019t stay magical because it\u2019s untouched. It stays incomplete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe the shift is small. Not dramatic. Not revolutionary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light the candle on a random Tuesday.
Write messily in the beautiful notebook.
Wear the perfume to the grocery store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJoy is not a limited resource,\u201d Alnajar says. \u201cTrusting that there will be more, more good days, more beautiful things is part of emotional security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finishing something you love doesn\u2019t erase it. It transforms it. The candle becomes a memory of a quiet evening. The notebook becomes proof that you had thoughts worth writing down. The sticker becomes part of a page you once touched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The special day we keep waiting for rarely announces itself. It doesn\u2019t arrive with certainty or fireworks. Often, it looks like today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The folder was never waiting for perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was waiting for permission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You buy something beautiful, and instead of using it, you protect it. The notebook stays…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[48],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6060"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/126"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6060"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6068,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6060\/revisions\/6068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}