I lost a disc while golfing this past weekend.

My first, actually—I had just bought a starter set, after weeks of borrowing spares. I don't buy new very often, but I happened to find a deal with a healthy variety and even a neat little bag. They were clean, they all matched... my perfect little kit.

I was going to lose one eventually. It's just part of the game. There's some relief in it happening so soon, actually. I have replaced my lost putter (of all things!) with an inexpensive used one. My set no longer matches. The brands are not all the same, the color scheme is completely out of whack, ...but now I don't have to worry about those things anymore.

Like almost any new item, the first damage is liberating. When you acquire something new—a car, a tool, a toy, an article of clothing—do you not take extra care, to keep its form pristine? Do you delicately handle it, so as not to scuff or scratch or mark it? The first sign of wear, the first blemish—it can feel almost devastating. But when that item loses its perfection, so does it lose that power over you. Subsequent dents and dings don't matter nearly as much. Obviously you will still take appropriate care of it—but no longer will it worry you; no more will aesthetic purity detract from your ability to use and enjoy whatever it is that you cared enough about to introduce into your life in the first place.

Accept, and even embrace the first blemish. No matter what care you take, it is going to happen. You own your things, don't let them own you.