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85: Monday Moment: Overthinking Something Wonderful · Banish the Lies: Outsmart Your Inner Critic

• 0:00
  Speaker: Happy Monday.
• 0:01
  Speaker: Today I was thinking about a talent I possess, a talent that unfortunately is often misguided, and that talent is overthinking.
• 0:12
  Speaker: I have a natural gift for it.
• 0:14
  Speaker: Honestly, not to brag, but I can overthink just about every situation with remarkable ease Now, of course, I'm being a bit sarcastic when I call it a talent, but it got me wondering about how I might use this well-developed skill differently.
• 0:31
  Speaker: What if I took all that mental energy I put into imagining what could go wrong and redirected it towards imagining what could go right?
• 0:40
  Speaker: Because think about it, that overthinking is just focused energy, and that energy is powerful.
• 0:47
  Speaker: It can come up with some pretty elaborate and exceedingly convincing scenarios.
• 0:53
  Speaker: We can imagine an entire conversation with someone, including what they're going to say, how we're going to respond, and all the ways it could go horribly wrong.
• 1:02
  Speaker: And even when none of that has even taken place, our bodies actually respond as though it's happening.
• 1:09
  Speaker: I know mine does.
• 1:11
  Speaker: So lately I've been playing with something.
• 1:13
  Speaker: What if I gave the positive possibilities that same kind of attention?
• 1:18
  Speaker: What if instead of imagining all the ways something could go sideways, I imagined it going really well?
• 1:25
  Speaker: The conversations go smoothly, projects come together, clients are happy.
• 1:31
  Speaker: Or what if I just started my morning imagining that the day ahead might actually turn out better than I expected?
• 1:38
  Speaker: And here's what I've noticed.
• 1:41
  Speaker: It's not just about saying the words.
• 1:43
  Speaker: It's about actually imagining it and noticing how different that feels.
• 1:48
  Speaker: Because when I imagine things going wrong, I can feel the tension in my body.
• 1:54
  Speaker: But when I imagine things going well, there's a lightness to it.
• 1:59
  Speaker: I actually start to look forward to what's ahead.
• 2:02
  Speaker: Now, hear me when I say I know this may not be easy, and for me, it definitely doesn't come naturally.
• 2:10
  Speaker: There's that protective part of my brain that immediately wants to jump in and say something like, "Well, Tania, that's a little unrealistic, don't you think?" It's better to prepare yourself for disappointment.
• 2:25
  Speaker: It's a much safer approach.
• 2:26
  Speaker: But here's what I find interesting.
• 2:29
  Speaker: Why does imagining everything going wrong feel like being realistic, while imagining everything going right feels almost delusional?
• 2:40
  Speaker: Neither future has happened yet, and I'm certainly not suggesting we ignore real problems or pretend difficult things won't happen.
• 2:49
  Speaker: And certainly, if you're facing something really hard right now and imagining a wonderful outcome feels like too much of a stretch, I get it.
• 3:01
  Speaker: But maybe you can still imagine yourself finding your way through it.
• 3:06
  Speaker: Think about everything you've already been through in your life.
• 3:10
  Speaker: Things you once wondered how you'd ever get through, and yet here you are.
• 3:16
  Speaker: You might not know how things are going to work out, but maybe you can imagine yourself being okay even if things don't go exactly as you'd hoped.
• 3:25
  Speaker: So here's my invitation for today.
• 3:28
  Speaker: The next time you catch yourself overthinking something, see if you can turn that remarkable talent in a different direction.
• 3:36
  Speaker: Give yourself permission instead to imagine something wonderful, and really spend a little time there.
• 3:45
  Speaker: Notice how it feels.
• 3:47
  Speaker: Because if we're going to spend time imagining a future that hasn't happened yet, why not spend a little more time imagining one we'd actually want?
• 3:57
  Speaker: Have a beautiful week, my friend.