Is it Imagination or Overthinking?

Imagination is the dynamic catalyst for every breakthrough!"I liked the part in Teen Wolf where Stiles just envisioned the line being complete and then it occurred. Someone accurately stated that imagination is more powerful than reality.

Many books have been published about how imagination is a highly powerful source for humans to achieve their biggest desires and dreams. "It's the prospect of having a dream come true that makes life intriguing," writes The Alchemist. Rightly so, if we don't see our future, we won't be able to work hard for it and there will be no disappointments in life, which would be fairly dull, don't you think? Imagine having an excellent profession, a beautiful relationship, a perfect family, an outstanding group of friends, and so on!

The basic definition of Imagination is - the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality. Just like virtual reality! However, what do you think, what is your imagination? Getting that perfect career, the perfect girl/boy, making your parents proud, overcoming trauma, living a healthy life, sleeping quietly, and making a lot of money! What exactly is it? Think...

It is all of it! We all want to be popular, have fantastic friends, a perfect profession, success, a Ferrari, a loving partner, and, of course, a perfect life. Is this correct? Don't get me wrong: you have to be a saint not to have any pictures in your life, and I suppose even saints have imagination. But they know the difference between imagination and overthinking.

Yes, overthinking - thinking too much about it. We know it's not real, and we never know whether it will be, and envisioning is wonderful, but overthinking is not. Nobody is perfect – well, there are many life quotes, motivational books, and other such things that teach us that life is not perfect and that we must work hard to make it great for ourselves. Maybe a Ferrari is what you want, but someone out there just wants to ride in a cab.

This isn't about motivation - overthinking may genuinely make you unwell, causing headaches, sadness, and anxiety attacks. Okay, you envisioned it and are working towards it, but that doesn't guarantee you'll get it. Please keep in mind that life is full of broken friendships, broken emotions, and broken individuals! Nobody gets everything they want. It doesn't work that way so why are you sitting and thinking about it all day?

Take it from me: I anticipated my life to be one way, and it didn't happen. However, this does not imply that I am not enjoying a great life. My life has taken some wonderful turns, whether it's my career, work, or the place I live in. And, yeah, I lost a valuable year overthinking about something I imagined, but I no longer believe it is suitable for me, thus I wasted a year. What would you say to me? You're insane! Yes, perhaps, but I feel that one year taught me how to be strong, how to cope with broken relationships, how to be more confident, how to apologize to a friend, and how it is okay to think that people will not change their ways!

Overthinking doesn't help and if it doesn't work out it might just kill you from the inside because maybe the reality might not match with the imagination or the outcomes of your thinking. Trust me, you will cry and nobody will notice. It is like one of the poems I wrote back in the day -

"Aankhon mein nami hai, dil ko kisi cheez ki kami hai,

dimag mein alag, alag soch, or mann mein andhera hai,

sach ki hawao ne hume kuch aise ghera hai!

Kuch adhure sapne, adhuri khawish lekar

phir jee rahe hain zindagi, par raaton ki neendo se ab darr ka kuch

alag rishta hai.

Aage badhne ki soch thi, logon ki umeed jor thi

phir woh ek naakaamyabi ne hume chedha hai,

sach ki hawao ne hume kuch aise ghera hai."

Reality will not always be the same, and it will cause you pain. So, simply live, and pray before the 12th result day, but don't overthink the entire year about your scores! Apply to that university, but don't spend a month overthinking and reaching impulsive conclusions. Tell him/her you adore them, but don't sweat it if they don't – that's life.

Aao Sochte hain ki, don't overthink about any situation in life, because somewhere someone is writing all of your destiny and he knows better than all of us. If you wanna fight him and prove him wrong try, but it will happen according to his plan and your destiny! Too filmy...

"Waqt se jyada or kismat se pehle kisi ko kuch nahi milta!" someone else correctly stated. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't attempt; we should always strive to make a change for our own good since then we will not regret that we didn't do something about it! Don't leave everything up to chance - yes, what happens will happen, but give it a go without agonizing over it all day.

My mantra - "kismat mein ho ya naa ho ye toh baad ki baat hai, par hum koshish bhi naa kare yeh toh galat baat hai." (If it is in our destiny or not it is not in our hands, but we won't even try for it that is wrong!)

So what is it for you - Are you imagining it or you are overthinking?

What are you doing?

• Imagination
• Overthinking