#2: Stop Over Thinking Everything
Are you an over thinker? You know what I mean… Everything you do, everything you plan, every event you are invited to, every family outing – you plan it, then you think about it, then you re-think about it, and then you add contingency plans for every possible outcome. You know what I am talking about!
I realized that I was an over thinker at about the same time I learned that I cannot control anything or anyone but myself. During my life, over thinking was a wasted effort to protect myself against what I viewed as potentially unhealthy situations. I worried and worried and tried to protect myself and my family from any unnecessary pain.
Once I realized that I could not possibly predict every awkward or unhealthy moment, and that I was actually just wasting my precious energy on unnecessary planning and re-planning, life became a whole lot simpler. Please don’t misunderstand me. Plans are good. I make plans. I use a daily planner. I plan trips. I make lists. I plan events. I write down goals.
You and I cannot predict the future. You and I cannot work out every possible scenario in our lives and attempt to accommodate for it. Quit wasting your energy on this kind of stuff because it will steal the joy out of everything you do. You cannot enjoy something if you are constantly thinking and worrying about it.
I make plans, but I do not let over thinking steal my joy anymore. It is that simple – try it!
~Simone