If you are a compulsive overthinker, you may be familiar with some of the following thoughts. Am I with the right person? Am I following my passions? Am I doing what I love? What is my purpose in life? Am I happy?
In many parts of the Western World, it seems as though one of these, the pursuit of happiness has become the ultimate overthinker or overachiever’s goal. Happiness from material life can outrank professional achievement and sometimes family and friendship. It can even minimise others’ achievements and takes the shine off our own.
Through the deluge of various social media memes, self-help books, guides, and even some meditations, there is a deep cultural aversion to negativity which is growing in society. This can be a welcome change, but the pressure to remain positive at all times often results in some complicated mental gymnastics. For example, renaming a report which lists strengths and weaknesses as strengths and emerging strengths or renaming problems as opportunities or challenges.
We all need to face the reality of life that every day is not always going to be perfect; we all have proverbial ups and downs. For most of us, each day will be filled with a proverbial sea of thoughts, emotions and feelings. How we learn to balance with this, is the real key in life. Learn to distil the positives from your life and enjoy those aspects which do bring real happiness. Then as you face true challenges or emotional dark spots, you can pull upon some of these past strengths and happiness. Most importantly, stop trying to overthink every aspect of life and that every moment must be sublime happiness, will bring you the freedom to be your real self.