About a decade ago, I went to visit one of my websites – I had an online business then – and something looked off.

I wasn’t sure quite what. Maybe there was a warning message. Maybe the site was particularly slow.

But whatever it was, I ignored it and went about my day… until I got an email from Google telling me my ads would be permanently shut off because my website was hosting malware.

I was in Google jail and they’d thrown away the keys.

I started to panic. Without Google ads, I wouldn’t get new customers. And without new customers, my business would die.

I launched into a spiral of fear. I would be living at the side of the road, with no job and no income. A failure.

It’s moments like these when we’re furthest from home.

There are times when our mind takes over, telling us stories, squirting adrenaline into our veins. Catastrophe is around the corner and there’s no escape.

Of course – I can say that now – it got fixed. The website was cleaned up. I pled with Google and they let me back in. All was OK again.

Only when you’re far from home do you realize how important home is.

Home is the place where you feel safe. It’s where everything feels right. Where you feel connected with a benevolent universe that’s working for your benefit.

The big joke is, home is always there. We just go off on nightmare vacations and forget it’s waiting for our return.

Perhaps remembering that is the biggest secret of all.