About the Neverending Thoughts
The ultimate source of an endless train of thoughts comes from repeating the same questions that you don’t know the answers yet.
The problem with before bed thinking activities is Where it came from.
Most of overthinkers have the same list of questions that they ask themselves before bed. Starts from “what am i doing with my life?”, “what’s the meaning of my mere existence?”, “am i good enough? or will i ever be good enough?”, and ends with the same destructive answers like “i don’t know what i’m doing with my life”, “my existence is meaningless”, “i’m or i’ll never be good enough.”
If you have the same list as i do, Congratulations. I am here to tell you a secret to (mostly) overcame those questions. Now, let me tell you from the start that i am not the wisest person on earth like the Buddha, or the most logical too like Albert Einstein. I am merely a person who loves the absurdity of acting like a wise or logical person. If you are wondering what kind of person that would be, well that would be me.
Let’s start with age. If you find this article from clicking through my Instagram Bio, i’m guessing you have an age range between 20–30 y.o. Which, by nature (mostly) is a natural overthinking individual, kind of pessimistic but still hopeful, want to do something that is a big step in your life but there are too many “buts.” If i am right, than that’s a lucky guess. If i am wrong, maybe i’ll try a different approach next time.
The point of pointing out your age is actually relevant with this statement :
“ A person who only asks questions over and over again without doing anything is a like stirring a pot full of water until it dries out.”
Now, don’t get offended just yet. There are many offends down the line for you, trust me. But re-read that phrase one more time, then tell me if that doesn’t feel like the same as repeating the same questions over and over again.
A method i usually use to help me be sane (sometimes) is to compare myself with my past self.
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Write down the (repeating) questions you have in your head in a piece of paper, and answer all of it with every possible way you can answer it. This might be what you feel about a person, about a job, about future opportunities, any kind of relationships, goals, etc. That’s your highest concern about your life right now. All of your problems (and emotions) in one single paper. That paper probably looked like a 3rd grader’s drawing but it’s important to you. Very Important. Big life decisions that you don’t casually talk to your parents, partner(s), or friend(s).
Then imagine that this paper (that contains all the burdens of your mind) is sent for your past self. I suggest going back to a couple of years before major changes in your life. Maybe the moment before you graduate, before your marriage (maybe), before you submit that college application, or else. If your past self read that paper, would he/she believed it? Your past self probably think, “What? I’ll be surprised if i even go that far. There are so many things that seems challenging right now, i can’t think of a way out.”
This story explains that, you don’t know what will happen until it happens.
You just act like you know what to do. But in the contrary, you don’t. At all.
And that’s the beauty of mystery of life.
Learning from some random You Tube video, (I’ll put the link later down below) every person on earth goes through the same life stages. There are moments in life when you have to wonder, to choose, to fight, to lose, to get over from what you have lost, to start new questions again, then to wonder, to choose, and so on. The moment you realize which stage your on, it’s going to be easier. If you fall, you will understand that pain only exists so you can enjoy not being in pain. If you run, you will understand that being tired only means you are lucky to still have the energy to fight. If you suffer from a heartbreak, you can appreciate the condition of not being with the wrong person. There are so many good sides in a situation, even death. What give life meaning is to admit that we are mortal beings, who can fall ill and die someday. That’s why i want to pursue my dreams, go to places, write amazing stories, inspire more people, being good to yourself before being good to anyone, help people as much as i can, and most importantly is to “always give your best.”
Back to my first point, “A person who only asks questions over and over again without doing anything is a like stirring a pot full of water until it dries out.” Don’t stop stirring the pot until you know what to put in, don’t boil the pot until it overflows, don’t stir the pot until your hands go numb. Stop when the pot has just the right filling, put it in a different pot. Then start stirring again. See what i’m getting at? No? Too bad. I’m out of analogies to use. Go ask someone who might understand.
Before you close this tab and continue with your daily “productive” (i believe) activities, let me tell you one last thing:
If you are unsure whether or not you are glad with your life right now, don’t forget to ask your past self. I bet she/he might know something about it. At least just one thing.
Oh link of that life stages thingy: https://youtu.be/ym0mSXSNZsU you’re welcome. Thank you for reading!
