Not thinking is a crime too!

There is this notion, almost a trend that not thinking is the best way to live life, the way to live a peaceful and fulfilled life. And even if you don’t believe in that notion, continue to read till the end and ensure you are reaping the full benefits of your brain.

I agree that mindfulness practices or meditative practices that promote not thinking can be stress-free, peaceful, and even fulfilling. But it is definitely not the way one should lead their entire lives.

Can someone live that kind of life? is irrelevant here. Because one can or not, As much as overthinking is a foolish crime you commit against yourself, not thinking is also the same if not, even more of a foolish crime!

When I say “think”, it includes other related verbs like visualize, imagine, dream, conceive, reflect, plan, etc. All that your mind and brain are capable of doing. Your brain is an incredible gift! The brain is a superpower!

Not using it? Isn’t that an act of sabotaging one’s potential? Isn’t that a crime?

Being thoughtless should not be one’s goal, being mindful of every thought that crosses over the screens of your mind should be the goal.

And whether you knew about this new trend of “not thinking”, I’ll ask you this, on a day-to-day basis, how long do you think you spend time thinking? How much of quality deep thinking?

The point is not to come up with a number of hours.
Here are few
1. Observe. In other words, get mindful of your thoughts. Whatever that’s moving across the canvas of your mind.
2. Write. Once you start observing your thoughts, you’ll realize great truths after sessions of deep thinking. Collect those truths you’ve realized, or in other words, the reflections you’ve received. And not only does writing help you collect those reflections/insights, but also it promotes more deep thinking. It also helps you connect the dots, you can go back to the old notes later when you realize something related to the same topic.
3. Dedicate time. This is not a necessary/compulsory action if you’re just beginning to observe your thoughts. As you start observing your thoughts, that process will be “on” 24/7, so this is optional. However, when you are in situations where you need to solve complex problems, it’s best if you can dedicate a portion of your day to just thinking. And if it helps, you can even talk aloud to yourself. Of course, do this in a private space, so that nobody assumes you are mentally ill.

A word of caution: Everybody knows this quote from Spiderman, “With Great Power comes great responsibility!”. That is absolutely true and applies here too. Deep thinking is a superpower. To balance your thinking, you must absolutely have some sort of meditative practice that by will or that forces you to stop thinking because if you’re not balanced, it may lead to overthinking and then even fatally damage your mental health. Thinking is important but at the cost of your mental health. Your health is your responsibility! Balance your thinking with the same amount and quality of not thinking.

Here are a few insights related to the same:
• When thinking seems and becomes unproductive, the most productive thing to do is involved in any activity that will force you to stop thinking or that takes control of what you’re thinking.
• Allowing yourself to think about what to do now, or what do I do now may lead to unnecessary overthinking. So, plan! Plan your week and month in advance.

Of course, there are other responsibilities like, not losing those insights you’ve realized, creating and sharing a work of knowledge utilizing those insights, etc. But mental health is the one responsibility that’s a top priority!

Again,
As much as overthinking is a foolish crime you commit against yourself, not thinking is also the same if not, even more of a foolish crime!

With this blog, all I’m trying to do is push you to think more, think more deeply, and get more conscious of the process and of your thoughts.

Thank you,
Yours Loving,
Sanath Kumar Naibhi