Have you ever been at a point in your life where you feel like you are overthinking things?
Perhaps you are just a person in general that tends to over think? You like to look at things from every angle, put yourself in everyone else's shoes, and try to predict all the possible outcomes in a given situation.
Does that sound like you at all?
Well, sometimes that is a great ability to have, but sometimes it is not...
Let me tell you a little story about my favorite sports team that helps drive home that point.
To fully understand the significance of this story, lets go back to 2011. The Phoenix Suns held the 13th pick in the NBA Draft at the time. A spot they had become quite accustomed to drafting in. At the time they were a fringe playoff team in desperate need of a star to carry the torch being passed by Steve Nash.
During pre-draft workouts they were intrigued by the measurements of a certain Kawhi Leonard (you may have heard of him?!). He had ridiculous physical measurements for a small forward. Huge hands and a massive wing span (long arms). The only problem was that he played Power Forward in college and was going to have to make the transition to small forward in the pros.
He also could not shoot the 3 ball very well. Those fears combined to cause some scouts not to place his draft stock very high.
However, his defensive ability was off the charts. Clearly the best defender in the entire draft. His work ethic was unmatched, and his physical tools, as mentioned above, were second to none. These things kept him in the mind of the Phoenix Suns with their 13th overall selection...
But Then...
Something very strange happened when they conducted their pre-draft interview with Kawhi Leonard. During the interview Kawhi started to sweat... not just a little sweat here and there, he sweat a lot! He was sweating so bad that it was showing up through his suit and dripping off his face.
The Suns' draft scouts got together and said this guy doesn't have the mental make up to be a great player if he gets this nervous in pre-draft interviews. Yes he has great physical tools, but we can't draft him because of all this sweating...
That was basically the conclusion the Suns came to. Great talent, but we can't pick him because of the sweat... he doesn't have what it takes.
Sure enough, on draft night, the Suns passed on Kawhi and selected Markief Morris with the 13th pick and let Kawhi Loenard drop to the Spurs at number 15.
Markieff was not a bad player per say, but Kawhi has turned into an all world player. One of the best in the league. He is currently leading his team on a quest for a potential Championship while the suns are sitting at home watching the playoffs on TV. A place they have been for the last 7 years in a row, ever since that draft...
Had the suns not put so much emphasize on how much the guy sweats, they may have taken him at number 13 and completely changed the history of their franchise.
After all, who ever heard of sweat being a deciding factor in how good of a basketball player someone will eventually be?! It's ridiculous.
Let this be a cautionary tale for all of us to remember not to put too much emphasis on the things that don't matter. Focus on the things that do matter and make sure we do not over analyze things.
Live well my friends!
Sources:
Image Sources:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/over-analyzing-trap-gina-gallagher
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/over-thinking-quotes/
Follow me: @jrcornel
The neurotic mind can run on you and, if you are on its saddle not having it tamed under your open-mindedness and discriminatory diligence, you are risking big time...
Finding the balance in the right amount and sticking to the reality of things instead of imagining it makes a huge difference in one's life. Great write up again, thanks for sharing and namaste :)
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Great points. Stay in the moment and worry about what you can control. That's it. Namaste ;)
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i do it sometimes haha guilty one here :)
but I also learned to step on the breaks while on it so maybe it ain't considered over thinking anymore one can unlearn overthinking too
and not necessarily by meditation
sometimes you just have to let it be
and the less you care the happier you shall be
or maybe its better to say the less you worry :)
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Haha no, being carefree is a very good way to look at life! Just worry about what you can control, no sense in worrying about what you cannot control. :)
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exactly :)
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I overthink everything...major stress case. Keeps me out of trouble though
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Or does it get you into trouble?! ;)
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I have made a lot of mistakes when i was young. So it keeps me out of trouble because i think everything through. But too much. Such so that it effects me. I get so far in my head and in the moment it can be very stressful.
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I could see that. Well I am glad it is able to keep you out of trouble at least, even if it is causing some mental turmoil in the process. Best of luck to you!
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haha thanks
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Overthinking Kills..wait I am thinking again ;)
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Stop it! You must stop it now! ;)
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I think I can stop it. Wait..#Loop
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Haha that is funny.... very clever!
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;)
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I have to remind myself of this daily.. :)
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Does it help?
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Sometimes, most of the time not and either way it slows things down, but I suppose that isn't always a bad thing. I guess it comes down to whether you over think but still make the right decision at the end of all that thinking, I like to think I mostly do :)
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Well that is good news then!
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To me over-analyzing in this sense is more of an inefficient sequence.
Considering a number of outcomes the mind focuses and re-focuses on the ones with least favorable prognosis.
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Very true... it does not weigh all outcomes equally. Just the ones with the least favorable outcomes. Interesting point!
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Possibly my favorite quote of all time, and one I need to tell MYSELF when my mind is fretting..."Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere."
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That's great! I hadn't heard that one before... I may steal it now though :)
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Great post @jrcornel. Let me add that the real trap of over-analysing often comes from those who do not accept that the universe is rather a chaotic place to be. There are just way too many constituents at any given time.
Trying to extrapolate more than what the present bestows upon us often leads to false analysis and like you said, anxiety that "crashes" our system.
I guess this is the gut instinct evolved in such a way that often comes to overpower logic.
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Yep, very well said. Plus it is just not very much fun to live that way ;)
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Yeap. Those who are afraid of dying, paradoxically are afraid of living. This is how anxiety and depression evolve.
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Interesting. I could see that though... They may not die, but they never really live either...
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Look beyond the superficialities and try and identify the true essence of the person. Take a step back and look at the whole portrait before you make your conclusions. I think we are all perpetrators of this though at some points in our lives, somtimes subconsciously.
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I think you are right... Great comment!
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thank you, will follow, keep these coming
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Thank you.
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Congratulations @jrcornel!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following category:
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It's easy to get caught up thinking and never DOING. I'm more of a thinker not a doer..I need to get rid of that excuse 🙌
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Thanks for the great article. Yes I over analyze things. It is a common trait of owls. I am one. I have even lost a few good girlfriends over being too analytical. I suppose certain words have cues. Like analyze. If you think too much you become to anal LoL. Should take my own advice. Only owls (personality type) do this. You will not find it in Panthers, Peacocks, or dolphins. I am not a jock or mocho man so I have chosen in life to exercise my mind. I run the risk of too much analysis and like a man that appreciates good liquor I can draw the line on my liquor but not on my brain. Thank God I can not get drunk on analysis or can you? LOL
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Haha I think you can... but instead of becoming fun and carefree, you become stressed and depressed... Lets steer clear of getting drunk on analysis! ;)
Interesting thoughts btw. Thanks for sharing!
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thanks for the reply. I did like it.
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Great post! I think that what you said is very good advice and it's words to live by! DR
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As the saying goes...Grant me the power to change the things I can not accept, and the wisdom to accept the things I can not change
One love!
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Haha yes, always good advice!
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Hey @jrcornel, i like your page, come check out mine
-cheers
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I have had these problems where I think too much about something that I have no control over and should therefore not be worrying about. It would only stress me out for no reason and make things worse in the long term.
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Yep, I think that is pretty common for a lot of people. If only we could just worry about the things we have control over... It is much easier said than done though eh?!
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Couldn't have come at a better time for me. I just started meditating again because of how stuck in the past and future and full of worry my mind has been. Thanks for this post. :)
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Well there you go! Glad I could help :)
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One of my children is an overthinker. It can be challenging encouraging someone who is sometimes paralyzed by so many "what-if's." I definitely see benefits from thinking things through before you act , but truthfully alot of who I am has been shaped by diving in, thriving when things go well and learning when they don't.
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Yep, that is part of "living" life. If you overthink you never really "do" much. Spend too much thinking about it...
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Great story. I followed. I would vote, but I don't know how yet.
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Interesting post. So goes our world today of focusing on the things that don't matter vs. real problems!
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Yep, I think this is a problem everyone can relate to in one way or another. My stupid Suns did it in a big way... ugh.
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I think overthinking is a big part of the human psyche... that's why I'm a firm adherent of Occam's Razor (or the KISS Principle). There is no problem so small that people can't complicate it! We (as a species) spend a disproportionate amount of time pole-vaulting over mouse turds!
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Yes, very nicely put. No more mouse turds for me! ;)
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In AA we talk about the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) Alcoholics seem to have an innate ability to over rationalize- so we recommend when reading the Big Book, just to read the black parts and not between the lines.
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That is some good advice right there. Thanks for sharing!
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This is something I do all too often. Perhaps it is because I have nothing in common with the world, or perhaps the world has nothing in common with me.
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I've started to treat my "brainpower" as a finite amount of emotional energy. Worrying, overanalyzing, overthinking, etc. are just drains on that daily source. Being decisive and dealing with a decision is much more liberating!
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And likely more productive as well. That is a good idea!
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my condolence friend, because I know how it is. in my case meditation works good job there. try some. great article upvoted!
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It makes me a great kitchen manager and chef but pain in the neck to live with the rest of the time! LOL Great post
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Great story! Love how you related to basketball.
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I over think things a lot. Sometimes that has served me well and other times it has burned me.
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Nice
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Cool story @jrcornel
I Resteem you post..
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Thank you!
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Ok ^^
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This post has been ranked within some of the most overvalued posts in the first half of May. We estimate that this post is overvalued by $267 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
If you are the author and would prefer not to receive these comments, simply "Stop" creating such garbage.
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overthinking , overanalyzing heheh #thefeels , i need to look for the brigther side because sometimes we feel negative and pushy about things which it can affect others
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Yep, bingo.
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Great perspective
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I totally stopped overthinking, reason? I think wait what? Haha just kidding, good post!
Upvoted & Followed!
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I have definitely been guilty of over-thinking things in the past. While I believe it can be beneficial to look at things from every angle, there are definitely times where 'imagined scenarios' are not only unhealthy but a huge waste of our most precious commodity-time.
Great anecdote jr!
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Totally. It's amazing how much we humans don't understand about how the human body (or reality in general) works. Would love to hear how the Spurs evaluation process went, as well as whether or not the Suns went back and revisited their drafting & assessment process.
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Man I wish I could have 5 minutes of non thinking !! with legal stuff ^_^
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Makes you stop and think about overthinking!
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Fear dictates the actions you take.
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I follow the Spurs a lot by Manu Ginobili. It is a great pride for my country but I did not know this Leonard story. I guess they threw all the scouts out of the Suns.
In my personal life something similar happens to me, I have relatives who worry about things that are not worthwhile or live worrying about the past. They practically spend their lives looking to the past and stop living the present. I do not know how to make them understand that what happened has no solution and that only remains to look forward. Live day to day and enjoy the simple things.
Big hug my friend!
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