If you’re anything like me phrases such as, “live a little” or “do you seriously ever do anything but homework” are almost as common as people asking, “how are you?” For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been someone who thinks about everything, in excruciating detail, and then thought about what my overthinking was doing to the situation in yet again, further detail. To many people, that may seem quite obnoxious and quite a waste of time, but to me, it’s my comfort zone and it’s something that I wouldn’t want to go a day without.
For starters, being an “over thinker” more often than not has a negative connotation. Why? Because people have this distorted view that it’s something we bring onto ourselves unwillingly, and that it’s something that clouds our judgement and doesn’t allow us, ironically, to think reasonably. As an avid over thinker herself, I strongly disagree.
Sure, there are definitely times I want to smack myself really, really hard for not being able to just do things without thinking of it’s possible implications such as whether or not to go out, talking to a crush or wondering how what I said to someone will play over the next couple of days. But for all those situations, are at least three situations that critically analyzing a situation has made me feel more prepared, organized and stress free. Just because I think things over before I do them doesn’t mean that I’m not spontaneous and don’t like to have fun, just means that I'm more prepared for worst case scenario.
One of the most frustrating things of being an in-depth thinker, is that even the simplest of decisions turn into a hour long debate with yourself. What coffee should I get this morning? What impact would the extra caffeine have on me and my productivity today? Should I buy these new pair of shoes or should I just wait till Christmas? Don’t even get me started on the thought process after taking an exam, that’s one for the books. Because of this, we tend to keep our emotions sheltered and our deep rooted relationships to a minimal because caring about too many things can cause for some serious bedtime thoughts.
All in all, I’ve come to the conclusion that being an “over thinker” is something that has brought much success and stability to my life and has proven to be, despite it’s sometimes frustrating hinderance, my best and worst quality. Call me my worst enemy, tell me to live life on the edge and to take it one day at a time all you want, but this is what makes me, me and is something that I never want to go away or to grow out of. Mark my words, one day all this will pay off and everyone will understand why thinking always one step head is far more of an enticing option to me than placing my future in the hands of a coin toss, hoping for the best. I guess you could say that the true thought of an "over thinker" is that we're prepared for our futures and know where I want it to take me, do you?
