How to Stop Overthinking & Find Clarity

When we overthink, it’s like stirring up muddy water; everything gets cloudy, confused and impossible to see through. We often try to fix our thoughts by thinking more, but that only stirs the mud up further.

When we stop and let go of the need to figure it all out, the mind begins to settle. Just like clear water reveals what’s beneath, clarity starts to emerge on its own. Insight doesn’t come from effort or force; it comes from stillness, presence and trust.

Transcript

In my garden I have this beautiful little stream that comes up out of the earth.

Fresh water spring flows down the garden a bit.

Collects in the pool and then goes out to a smaller river which then joins a larger river and at some point about 15 miles from here just flows into the sea,

Into the ocean.

It's a beautiful picture.

Continuous flow however When my little stream gets to that pooling section before it joins a small river.

Often there,

It builds up in a certain way.

I get brambles,

I get stinging nettles,

I get all sorts of.

.

.

Crap and debris in the pool and it looks really horrible and you know you have to periodically just clear it out,

Which is what I did recently.

I spent a few hours in my wellies,

Cleaning out all the mud from the bottom of the pool,

Cutting down the brambles,

Removing the nettles,

Anything that I thought just made it.

Not so nice to look at and which was preventing the flow of my little stream joining the larger river.

Now it was a bit of effort,

It didn't take much time,

But All of my activity just churning up the mud at the bottom of the pool.

Kind of got me discouraged because I was trying to clear everything.

The more I did,

It just seemed to be churned up.

But I got to a point and I thought.

.

.

That's it.

I'm just going to leave it like that now.

I've done what I can.

The walls around the pool look good.

But I was a bit discouraged that you know there was no clearness in the water just seemed all mucky so I went away for about an hour And I came back and.

.

.

The stream was flowing beautifully.

The work that i'd done to remove the bram was like i could appreciate it now and that i've sort of stepped away from it for an hour and insect life was there The most important thing for me was An hour before,

Everything had just been so stirred up.

It was so muddy.

I just didn't think.

I done a good job.

And that this thing would flow and this stream would have clarity.

But there it was.

After an hour,

Every bit of sediment and all that crap that I'd stirred up just settled down to a point where I could see.

See to the bottom of the pool.

That I had actually done a good job that the stream was flowing nicely.

And all it needed was to step away from the activity and it just let things naturally settle.

By themself.

This is a metaphor for me and a very powerful one.

When our thinking gets out of control or we're just stuck In our own thinking,

So caught up trying to find an answer for something,

A resolution to a problem,

We just think,

Think,

Think.

And we get all of these cogs working until they're smoking almost.

Trying to find an answer,

Trying to get resolution.

On an issue in life.

When actually the one needful thing is just stop thinking.

Now I know that sounds difficult,

But I'm talking about habitual personal thinking.

Where we're always trying to employ our reasonable,

Rationing mind to give us answers.

Some of the best answers you're going to get.

In fact,

Some of the most profound,

Most helpful.

Insights you are going to get for whatever resolution you need will always come.

From stillness when you just let your thinking settle.

The sediment goes to the bottom,

All the superfluous,

Unnecessary Fraught activity just dissipates.

It loses its energy because you're not focusing out anymore.

You know,

What we focus on,

That's where our energy goes to.

So we're trying to think of answers.

And a way through,

A sort of a breakthrough that we need.

Actually,

What happens is we're just adding to the cloud of dust,

Which is stirring up the sediment.

Rather,

We just need to step away.

Step away from the thinking.

And just be fully convinced that The answer that we will need will flow once things have settled down.

And we can become present.

When we detach from any outcome we're looking for.

And we just allow ourselves stillness.

And a space for those insights,

Those magical moments when we get such clarity.

On something we need.

And it won't present itself as a ton of options because when you have options,

Then again,

You have to think,

You have to reason,

You have to weigh up,

You have to discern,

You have to rationalize what is the best choice,

What's the most pragmatic thing to do,

The expedient thing to do.

When a real insight comes to you,

It'll always come as a singularity,

As one thing,

No options.

And then you just know that you know.

That that is what you need to do,

What you need to say,

Where you need to go.

When it all settles down.

Now I just looked at that stream again and it's amazing how quick it builds up.

And I suppose it's like thinking.

We get these insights,

But rather than returning to that still space,

We allow that.

Thought process to build up again and we start cogitating on the same old stuff but It was a very powerful metaphor for me.

And I hope for you.

Just to shut the up sometimes just let your thinking settle walk away do something else be present somewhere else And what you need,

It will come in that silence.

Moment where everything is just calmed down.

New insights will flow clarity Does come.

Well,

It certainly helped me.

But I still have to go and clear that stream at some point in the next few weeks.

But it'll be worth it because I know that stream will flow out and join the ocean.

And someday ebb and flow on a distant shore.

That's a wonderful thought,

Isn't it?

Hope you're having a good day.

Speaks to you in some way,

Just to get out of your own head.

Let your thoughts settle.

And those great,

Magical insights,

Life-changing insights will come.

Peace.

Blessings to you.