Are you a thinker? If I were a betting woman, I’d wager you are. If you’re a reader, you’re probably a thinker.
Sometimes overthinking immobilizes me. But it can also challenge me to do my best. Take writing, for example. Revising and editing yield high-quality writing. If I submit a rough draft, my editor would probably refuse to publish it. And he’d be perfectly correct. Rewriting is the key to good reading.
Reading makes me happy. So does writing, to a point, but it’s much more work than reading. I don’t overthink reading. I just soak it in. The funny thing is, as a writer, reading can become a form of studying the craft. I’m absorbing good techniques and can apply these without even realizing I’m doing it.
I often overthink what to write, though. After all, I don’t want to disappoint my readers. It’s important to me that I come up with something fresh every week, and that it somehow encourages or challenges you.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s sensible to weigh options, ask for advice from wise people, and pray before making decisions.
Big decisions, that is. You should definitely think it through before marrying or buying a house.
But you can go overboard. I’ll admit it: I overthink just about everything, from what shirt to wear to how to clean a window, from how to manage our budget to whether I should eat ice cream after supper. It’s maddening.
I guess the key is to concentrate my thoughts on things that have value. Let’s face it, what shirt I wear or shampoo I use has absolutely no significance.
The state of my windows probably doesn’t matter much, either, and if I eat ice cream, it just means I’ll have to walk a little faster the next day to burn it off.
Paul defines the best way to concentrate our thoughts on things that matter better than I ever could: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8 NIV)
Maybe this is more of a challenge for me than for you, but if I can ever reach Paul’s standard on thinking, I’m sure I’ll stop worrying about which shampoo to buy. And that sounds praiseworthy to me.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!