Joshua 1:9 –I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

Gratitude Day 820

Hello, my name is Dianne. And I am a proverbial overthinker.

And it’s a superpower that I would gladly leave at the curb!

Here’s what happens to me. I begin to think about something. And I think. And I think. And I think. I want just the right answer or reason or justification for something before I move forward. I can rethink an answer to something seven ways to Sunday every day of the week.

As a child, my Dad thought it took me FOREVER to make a decision. So, he gave me a nickname that reflected this. Hint: my nickname was NOT “Fast.” It was the opposite. And yes, he called me this right until his dying day. Truth.

As we are making small changes in our lives and getting rid of “stuff” that gets us bogged down, we can easily slip into overthinking.

“What if …”

“If only …”

“I sure wish …”

“Why is this so hard?”

If it was easy, we would have done it a long time ago. Period.

In my consistent quest for a Simple Is Better life, I have decided that overthinking really is not very helpful. It only distracts me from the bigger picture. The picture where I have less. It takes me less time to manage my stuff and I have more time and opportunity for other things that really bring me a lot more joy. But if I let overthinking bog me down, I get hung up and begin to make excuses to myself why I can’t continue down this road of Simple Is Better. In the long run, I am not supporting my decision to have a simpler life.

What’s the solution? Go back to the decision that you already made to have a Simple Is Better life. Period.

If something really has you bogged down, set it aside and deal with it another day. But do not let this be the excuse that hijacks your choice for a simpler life. One overthinking decision does not mean every decision must be run by the overthinking police. Instead, pick a different choice that does not require overthinking. One you can make quickly and keep going.

Maybe overthinking isn’t your superpower hold up. Maybe it’s feeling like you don’t have enough time. Or you aren’t ready to make the big decisions. Or you are afraid your decisions will be adversely received by someone else. You can work around all of these potential limiting factors. Just be creative and think of a different approach.

You have a wonderful and creative mind. You can make good choices. Continue to give yourself permission to make these decisions that lead you towards the life that you really want.

And then, enlist the support and help of your biggest cheerleader of all: God. So many times, I let overthinking command so much of my time, energy and attention, rather than turning to God for the support and love I desperately need. I depend upon only myself rather than enlisting the ONE who desperately wants to be part of our decisions.

So why do we fail to ask for help?

Because we feel we didn’t get the answer we wanted when we asked in another situation. Notice – the answer WE wanted; not what God wanted.

Or we feel we only hear crickets from God, meaning no answer at all. Maybe the timing is right yet. Maybe the best choice is there but just not right NOW.

Possibly, we feel the best answer still is out there and we don’t know what it is.

All of these can be very valid points and answers. But maybe, we just haven’t really asked for help. Or listened long enough to hear the answer. Maybe we are so distracted in our own world that we have completely missed God’s answer. It flew right before our eyes or over our head and we were completely ambivalent to the answer.

These are the times when maybe we just need to slow down. Be present. Make ourselves available to hearing God’s answer. And then, be presently surprised.

It begins, though, with putting ourselves in a place where we have the opportunity to be with God and hear God in our lives. It’s teaching our souls to listen and hear for God more than our ears and eyes, which we depend upon too often.

Friend – may I encourage you today to continue to make choices which provide you the Simple Is Better that you have yearned for. I know this does not happen overnight. Believe me, it’s about a lot more than just physical things. It’s about allowing a simpler thought process to become part of our everyday lives as well.

Simple Is Better. May we embrace this in our thoughts as well. Let’s kick overthinking to the curb and simply enjoy this very moment right now.

Hello, my name is Dianne. I am really trying to allow a simpler thought process to take root in my life so I can release the overthinking that takes up way too much space. Amen.

For perspective on overthinking and other mental roadblocks we may encounter. , I am grateful.

Blessings –

Heavenly Father – Please forgive me for the times that I have depended too much on my own abilities. The times when overthinking rules, the roots rather than really letting me soul be guided by you. Thank you for being so understanding towards me. Amen.

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