Things I’ve Come Across

It’s amazing to me that I can often find myself wandering the myriad of inspirational quotes, posts, and articles that are strewn all over the internet. I rarely do it mindlessly, but often as a way to draw inspiration into my own life. Here’s a couple of things that I have come across, but would like to put into this online journal for my own wonder when I look back at this year 2023.

Here’s an example of something that came across my screen, that I just had to put down here. Wanting a reminder of simple wisdoms that seem obvious enough, if only it were front of mind at all times:

I look at this list, and can almost write paragraphs upon paragraphs on just each single one. I like number four as a reminder that oftentimes people don’t even try. Just the agony of looking back at the what-ifs.

But I think many of us have had such moments. I don’t think it’s such a bad thing not to try, maybe this is a gray area in life. Maybe there are some things that we don’t want to try, and that alone is not failure.

Maybe the author wanted to expand and say: If we really wanted something, but were afraid to act, then in that moment when we did not try, is the moment of failure… It’s certainly something worth thinking about. Because if I think about it, there’s just a lot of things I don’t wish to even attempt. Break dancing is probably one thing I’d be happy to fail at.

Maybe to revise: Failure is when we don’t even try something we truly want, because of fear or (insert reason here)…

I love number eight: Overthinking. There’s a lot of literature regarding overthinking. In the business world, I know that you can’t truly get to 100% knowledge in any aspect of decision making. Often, CEOs have to make do with even 50% of the information. Because paralysis by analysis is such a crippling deterrent to success in any company, either big or small. That acting, deciding, and then revising is a better option than trying to wait out the perfect decision because of the need to get all the information. Most of the time, more information does not create a better decision: All it creates is a delayed decision.

Overthinking creates delayed decisions.

In this aspect, I think the writer was more focused on overthinking as a way to ruin our day, our situation, even our relationships. It creates doubt, when there shouldn’t be any. It creates a false narrative of negativity, when there was none.. I think there’s an aspect of human nature, that creates overthinking as a way of survival.. But more often than not, it creates havoc in our thinking, pursuing almost every angle of a situation, instead of just enjoying that situation. It creates avenues of looking back, or looking ahead, when all we should really be doing is living in the moment of happiness. Hmmm.. Food for thought.