When you lose something, you need to decide: should you attempt to recover it, or should you give it up? (You can ask this same question when something’s broken: should you repair it, or should you give it up?)

Giving up means accepting the loss. It means letting go of the past, moving on, and eventually replacing what you lost.

If you try to recover what you lost, the reward is recovery. It’s possible it was damaged or won’t be the same, or it might be too late. Someone else found what you lost. Tracing your steps might take too long, and feel very confusing. All you can control is the effort, the attempt.

The other day, I realized I lost a pair of sunglasses that I’d grown very fond of. I’d worn them in the same hour, but I couldn’t put my finger on where they might be. I decided to quickly retrace my steps. At the second stop, my sunglasses were sitting right where I’d sat, and I realized they’d slipped out of my pockets. 

I happily scooped them up and went on with my day. Every time I wear them now feels special, like bonus time.

There are economic rewards: I saved money, because I didn’t need to buy a new pair of sunglasses. I also saved time, I didn’t need to go too long without a pair. 

The most rewarding element was a story: Anyone can give up. That’s the status quo, and the easy option. I could have easily shrugged my shoulders, saved myself from potential disappointment, and told myself, “No, the glasses are lost now.” Knowing you lost something and that you have the agency to find it is the real reward. 

Actually finding something you lost is just the cherry on top.