A Poem for Overthinkers

I’m a big Reddit lurker, particularly of Ask-Reddit threads. A few years ago, I ran into a post where a Reddit user asked others for their "I know it sounds weird, but just try it" things. I found the top answer to be quite insightful and inspiring.

What is your, “I know it sounds weird, but just try it” thing?

I really liked the top answer:

It encouraged me to examine my own self-imposed filters, which I believe may be a product of my introverted personality or my fear of rejection. Since then, I’ve been conscious of my hesitancy to act upon simple things. Things like organizing an event for the MIT Alumni Club in Monterrey, which I lead. Calling up randomly a member of our team to hear how things are going with them. Asking questions in a public forum or bringing up uncomfortable but necessary discussions with my partners.

This year, I have made it a personal mission to challenge these filters by taking on activities that usually take me time to prepare and absorb, such as making phone calls, writing blog posts, exercising, and learning new things.

One particular reply to that Ask-Reddit post left a deep impression on me. It is a beautiful poem written by a user named /u/ Poem_for_your_sprog. It’s a good text to read when I feel overwhelmed or overburdened by my own thoughts.

I think I think I used to think,
But now I think no more -
The thoughts I always thought I thought,
I thought, I think, before.

And now, I think, I think a thought
Infrequently, and so -
The rarer thoughts I think I think
Are lesser thought, you know?

So shed the thoughts you think you think,
And when your thoughts have shrunk -
You’ll see the thoughts you thought you thought
Are better thought unthunk.

It's the little things that make a big difference. Don't let your filters hold you back from experiencing new things and taking on new challenges. Keep pushing yourself to think outside the box and act a bit more instinctively.