The Monkey the Cat Podcast

"Panic Rarely Solves Problems" Episode 44

• Don Fessenden • Season 1 • Episode 44

"Hey there, my fur-tastic friends! 🐾 Welcome back to The Monkey the Cat Podcast! I’m Monkey, your favorite talking cat, and today’s lesson is about what happens when things go wrong—and how to stay calm when your brain says ā€˜AHHH!’

Our lesson today? Panic rarely solves problems.

I know that feeling—when something unexpected happens and your fur stands on end. But here’s the thing: when you panic, your brain gets noisy, your paws get clumsy, and your thinking turns into spaghetti. I learned that the hard way… during the Great Toast Emergency."

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Tyler:

"Hey there, my fur-tastic friends! Welcome back to The Monkey the Cat Podcast! I’m Monkey, your favorite talking cat, and today’s lesson is about what happens when things go wrong—and how to stay calm when your brain saysā€˜AHHH!’ Our lesson today? Panic rarely solves problems. I know that feeling—when something unexpected happens and your fur stands on end. But here’s the thing: when you panic, your brain gets noisy, your paws get clumsy, and your thinking turns into spaghetti. I learned that the hard way… during the Great Toast Emergency.""It all started when Dad—our super-chill teacher—was teaching me how to make toast.ā€˜Just watch the dial, Monkey. Not too dark.’ Simple, right? But when he stepped out of the room, I got… curious. I turned the dial. Then a little more. Then a little too much. Suddenly—DING!—smoke puffed out of the toaster. The toast popped up, black as a crow. The kitchen smelled like campfire. I froze. My tail poofed. My paws flailed. I screamed,ā€˜THE TOAST IS RUINED! THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE!’ Brooklyn came running. Teddy barked. Olivff dove under the table. Max flew in squawking,ā€˜ABANDON BREAKFAST!’ And just when it felt like everything was out of control… Mom walked in.(You know, our calm and clever accountant.) She pressed the toaster’s off button, opened a window, and calmly said,ā€˜Monkey, it’s okay. You burned toast, not the world.’""I felt silly. But also… relieved. Mom helped me slow my breathing. She gave me a new piece of bread. And she said something I’ll never forget:ā€˜When something goes wrong, the first thing to do is pause. Panic won’t solve it. But calm thinking might.’ That day, I learned that when you panic:šŸ”¹You miss simple solutions.šŸ”¹You make more mistakes.šŸ”¹And you usually make the problem bigger than it really is. But when you stay calm, take a deep breath, and think? You’re more likely to fix the problem—and maybe even laugh about it later." What We Learned TodayšŸ”¹Panic makes problems feel scarier than they are.šŸ”¹Taking a deep breath gives your brain space to think clearly.šŸ”¹Staying calm helps you solve problems faster—and safer.šŸ”¹Mistakes are fixable… especially if you stay cool-headed."So here’s my challenge for YOU today: The next time something goes wrong—pause instead of panicking.āœ…Take three deep breaths.āœ…Say out loud,ā€˜I can handle this.ā€™āœ…Then calmly look for the next best step. Because panic won’t help… but your calm brain will. Thanks for tuning in to The Monkey the Cat Podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and remember—you’re stronger than the problem, especially when you stay calm and steady. Until next time, my pawsome pals—keep breathing, keep thinking, and keep solving… without the panic! Bye for now!"