WorldSave

It became increasingly apparent to me today that America is a consumer nation.  Today is Memorial Day, and I was astounded by how swamped the grocery store was.  I was there to do a light shopping, just some food for the house and to return a rented DVD (which was interestingly enough a movie about presidency and a parody on our government).  Okay, I thought.  They’re just preparing for some celebrating.  Maybe some BBQ things they needed last minute?  The mere fact that people burn fleshy creatures as a means of celebrating astounds me, but that is a whole other topic for another day.

I was told by a friend today that the store he works in, a cell phone store, is also packed.  He apparently keeps receiving calls from people asking about deals, sales, and specials.  Now tell me.  Is that how a person celebrates their freedom?  Is that how you honor our fore-fathers for ensuring that we won’t be drinking tea at 4′o clock every day?  Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but you get my idea, yes?  Today is a day to celebrate the opposition of an oppressing government.  Now, some of you may be celebrating other war heroes, but I’ll leave those unmentioned, mostly because many wars I disagree with.  Nonetheless, young men and women — brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters — fought and died for us.  Human beings, loved ones.  They deserve to be honored for that decision:  the decision to sacrifice their life, or at least risk doing so, for what they believed to be the benefit of others.  It is a noble act either way you look at it.

So how will you celebrate it?  Please don’t tell me you’re running to your local cell phone store to see if you can get that sweet mobile for 15% off.  Please, please DO tell me that you’re celebrating it by being better than yourself today.  By doing something that sacrifices a part of you for the benefit of someone else.  I think that would be a far suitable way to celebrate Memorial Day.

Lia Cross

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I have encountered the term “over-think” a lot lately. I understood what it meant even though I had never bothered to define it. Realizing this, I have decided to define it, discover what about it is so problematic, and how to overcome it.

To over-think something seems to mean that there is an imbalance between thought and action. If we are over-thinking then we are thinking when we should be at the acting stage. To prepare for an action is wise, but to over-prepare can be just as devastating as not preparing at all (in certain instances). For example, imagine preparing to turn your car. You slow down. You turn your blinker on. Perhaps you near the right or left side of the road. This is only all acceptable in the event that you DO turn. If you miss the turn and continue on this course, it could be quite devastating to traffic and to yourself and anyone else on the road. There is a disconnect and misunderstanding in communication, and a lack of commitment to the action which creates confusion and in this instance is even quite dangerous. To prepare for any action in life is necessary, but only if the action is eventually taken. If the action is not taken, or if is taken too late, then this can be seen as a moment that one has “over-thought” the scenario.

What exactly is the problem with over-thinking? As you see, when one is so bent on thinking that they do not act enough (or at the right time), we can become paralyzed. Our thoughts literally stop us in our tracks. When we over-think, we tend to focus on not just how we should prepare but also on all the things that could go wrong in the event we take the action. This leads us to delay the action, or not do it entirely. This is clearly a problem for any individual wishing to lead at least a relatively normal life. Action is the only way we live, present ourselves, get anything done. Thinking is a precursor to it, but it cannot take action’s place.

The best way I can tell to overcome over-thinking is to recognize a thought in the instant you receive it and then act upon it as immediately as you can. This overcompensation leads to action over thought, which may seem awkward and foolish at first but is, in my opinion, a better option than to over-think and avoid or delay action. In any event, the overcompensation will in all likelihood even you out to the point where you are thinking and action in equal proportions, and no longer jumping into action nor delaying/avoiding it.

Lia Cross 

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