“You think too much.” “You’re overthinking it.” Has anyone said that about you? Oh, if I could have…mmm…let’s make it $100, since I’m making it up anyway, for every time I’ve heard that, I would be retired. If people have said that about you, how does it make you feel to hear those words? Since thinking is something we all do, and is highly regarded in many, if not most, areas of society, what is ‘too much’ about it?
There’s also the flip side, “what were you THINKING?” Meaning, you messed up something which someone thinks you should’ve done differently. Most of the times we get ourselves into some degree of trouble, isn’t usually because we weren’t thinking something through? We hadn’t given it enough thought?
I really appreciate thoughtful people. And deep thinkers. I even appreciate those labeled ‘intense’ at times. I’ve heard that one plenty, too, about me. Again, to what is the intensity in reference? Even if that were an objective, definable, measurable quality, what’s wrong with being intense, anyway? In my mind, intensity has a lot to do with a lot of thinking. AND, most of the ‘intense’ people I know are very smart. Some of the smartest, actually. Intense people are usually very passionate about the thing about which they’re being intense. I like smart. I like passion.
Next time someone accuses you of thinking ‘too much,’ just know that it’s only ‘too much’ for the accuser. If they can’t keep up, that’s not your issue! And if you’re the one doing the accusing, just remember it feels to the other person a bit like being told “you breathe too much.”
By the way, yoga and meditation are great for helping slow down both, the breath and thoughts. Which is awesome. We can remove our attachment to our thoughts, and become aware of WHO is doing the thinking. Not being attached to or defining ourselves by our thoughts, or obsessing over them, is very healthy. I’m an advocate of this process. I am suggesting though, that we remember one person’s slow is another person’s fast. One person’s many is another person’s few. So maybe we practice acceptance of that truth, and leave the judgment behind. Anyway, it’s another way of thinking about it. 😉