Think And Be Alive

"To think and to be fully alive are the same." - Hannah Arendt, political theorist

Feeling alive is the best feeling in the world to me. Thinking, for me, is a whole other story. I've been known to think way too much. It's something I need to be aware of and keep in check at times. I tend to over-analyze things and it can get bothersome.

The good news is that I recognize when this is happening. I've heard phrases such as "analysis paralysis" and "a mind is a dangerous neighborhood to go into all alone". These are clever little reminders to me that I don't need to spend too much time on thinking - I need to take action to change my thoughts sometimes. Helping others gets me out of my own head and allows me to let go of any stress I may have created by thinking too much in the first place.

Now, this doesn't mean I never think. I need to think and plan my days and weeks for work etc. But I don't need to dwell on the negatives nor do I need to worry about what may or may not happen in my future. My focus is on doing the next right thing and all seems to fall very nicely into place. One more phrase I was taught is "move a muscle, change a thought". When I'm thinking too much, that means I don't feel fully alive in that moment. That's when I take some action to get out of my own head. This works for me - try it - it might work for you too.