So, I have this little problem called overthinking pretty much everything.
My friends can likely attest that I often stand in grocery stores, wracked by indecision on what kind of snack I should buy. If I know what I want, such as a certain brand of soda, I can usually pop in and out of a grocery store easily. The problem usually comes when I don't know what I want. Sadly, the grocery store isn't the only place where I overthink life.
Recently, I was able to talk to a good friend of mine who I will refer to as Panda. Panda and I were talking lightly about life, and in passing she mentioned how an old roommate of hers had experienced some anxieties about Panda not liking her. I will refer to Panda's roommate as Cat. If anyone knew Panda, he or she would have easily seen that Panda very much loved Cat. There was no reason for Cat to worry, but darker thoughts prevailed. After some time, Cat overcame her worries, but in the time that Panda and Cat lived together, Cat worried about the nature of their friendship.
I'm the same way. Even this past weekend, I was worrying that Panda no longer wished to talk to me since we hadn't been keeping in contact as much. You know why we hadn't be talking as much, though? She was very busy working for a festival in a different country. And I knew that. Despite the fact that I knew better, I still believed that Panda was getting tired of me. For a long time now, I've dealt with loneliness, and I've come to expect certain friends in my life to move on once they tire of me. This past weekend was a prime example of that.
But Panda didn't abandon me. We talked just a few hours before I started writing this. All that I ended up doing was worrying over a possibility. Cat and I aren't the only people who do this, either. I've known many people in my life who overthought something in their lives. It's not always a big thing like abandonment. Sometimes it can be as simple as what snack to eat for the big game. Really, any decision can be overthought.
Don't. Overthinking an issue only leads to anxiety and pain. When you sit alone and worry about the future, you will only find yourself worse off. What I like to say is let what will happen happen. There's a great quote in the Bible from Matthew 6:27 (HCSB): "Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying?" I know that the solution isn't this simple, though. I have tried for years to stop worrying about the future, but those thoughts creep in. I understand that. But you should still try. Every small victory gets you one step closer to living a happy life. So that is my charge to you this week; try to not worry for one day. Be thankful for that which you have, and enjoy what's happening right now. Maybe you'll find yourself just a little bit happier than you were before.
