As humans, our hearts are always targeted at perfection. Even when we are fully aware that we are not capable, we still desire to get the best out of everything. That desire sometimes generates tension, sending mixed feelings to our heads causing both doubt and faith at a time.
This then trigger thoughts, thoughts that are great enough to prevent us from even concentrating on the tasks on ground.
I have been there several times but I had to learn how to step out of it for my own good.
I can't count the number of times I fumbled during debates that I prepared so well for in primary and secondary school because I was thinking too much on how the whole thing was going to be. I was scared that I was not going to meet up with the expectations and my thoughts eventually landed me at the spot I was scared of.
It is natural to think over a matter, especially if it is a crucial one. But we must not let our thoughts grow so wild on it to the extent of snatching our entire hearts.
There is this popular saying that "too much worry doesn't solve a problem," that is one of my most effective pills for over thinking. Whenever the urge comes into my heart when I am confronted with a situation. The first thing I tell myself is, even if you think from today till tomorrow, it won't solve anything, instead look for a solution.
We don't like disappointment of any form, whether it's coming from us or from others. We dispise failure and demeaning situations. All of these are good but if we want to avoid thinking too much we need to always position our hearts to understand that we are not perfect creatures and it is from the experience of failure that we can become refined.
As much as I strive towards having excellent results and excellent news each day, I don't always close the door for the opposite. If we run only with positive results, the day the negative eventually shows up, it can ruin everything. It's best that one has a touch of both sides.
It was after i developed this mindset and that of proper practice before attempting a task that I was able to overcome the habit of overthinking, although not all times one has the opportunity to prepare but whichever way it comes, my mind is made up. But don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't think, I do think but I don't allow myself to get lost in it.
I don't fear to fail, I don't fear to disappoint, I don't fear to lose. It's life these things must surely happen, why fear over them when they will still occur in the end? I think instead of thinking about them we should channels the energy to how we can get them solved and if it goes South then we should be looking for lessons to pick from them and reposition ourselves.
Sometime ago, my headmistress organized a program in the school and she asked me to be the master of the ceremony.
Actually, that was the first time I was going to do it. Fear gripped me at first, I mean parents will be there, my colleagues and of course the students as well. I also knew I had this problem with speech, I talk very fast and it sometimes makes me stammer.
I almost declined because I was caught in thoughts that were only pointing at my weaknesses but I put myself together and encouraged myself.
One thing I told myself that day was, "if others can do it, I can. I am not doing it to impress anyone. If I make mistakes I'll learn from it. If I get laughed at, it won't kill me."
Those were the things I used to counter the thoughts each time they arose as I prepared myself.
On the day of the occasion, I won't lie, I was scared at first but after greeting the audience, I had peace. I don't know how I managed to put myself together. I clear off everything in my head and it was as if I was interacting with my friends.
I actually, had that speech issue, and I struggled to get words at a point but it never made me worry, I saw it as a learning ground.
Currently, I don't allow myself to think so much about something to the extent of daydreaming, as soon as it is coming, I'll search my archive and bring a counter pill. We can't focus if we are thinking too much, our brains need to relax to give us good results.
We can't stop things from occurring, the only thing we can do is play our part well and watch fate do its own.
In conclusion, over-thinking isn't bad, but the kind of thoughts we allow into our hearts during the moment can be a problem . A popular saying goes, if you stay on it, you will find the answer. Sometimes thinking over something for long brings the answer right to you but we must know our boundaries.
