to think or not to think

Today I was pretty much left to my own devices, and so I did what I always do. Just let random thoughts fill my mind. I realise my mind is like some sort of net, it filters what I want to think thoroughly about, and what the really random thoughts are. So naturally, after all the filtering, I start thinking about things that matter.

And one of the most occupying thing that I thought about was about thoughts. Yes, thoughts. I guess it sprung up because I was advising a friend not to think too much. So I started thinking. We know that at times, overly thinking is not of much help. Sometimes, it makes things a lot worse than it actually is. Our imagination has got to be one of the most dangerous yet amazing things we possess. So using it rather in the wrong way harms only ourselves. And at times, others.

Everyone's advice towards certain issues would be to let things lie, to not think too much. But is it really possible, I wonder, to avoid too much thinking? It's like how the saying goes that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved before, but yet most peoples' hearts, our hearts, are not convinced of that, especially so if that heart is aching. The teetotaler is grateful to never know the agony of a drink's beckoning.

So I came to the conclusion that no matter how we try not to think too much, we always will. Because our thoughts, our imagination, are what makes us uniquely human. It is what makes us feel a multitude of emotions. Anger, sadness, loneliness, happiness, love. We will always be thinking, in one way or another. I know so, because I'm a thinker. I think far too much. But I've also learnt that the best way to avoid harming myself when it comes to my thoughts is trust. Trust and love.

At the end of that thought-occupying session, I''ve come to think this. Think as much as your mind wants you to. It makes us human. But also know that with trust and love, thoughts will always remain thoughts. Especially harmful ones. They will never turn into fear.

So. Random thoughts are actually quite fun to deal with. Once you're sure of yourself.