I had an overthinking problem—and it almost cost me my life
I was broke, living on welfare in New Zealand in the middle of nowhere, too sick to hold down a relationship, trying to build a startup business I hated.
I’d spent my life doing what I thought I should do.
But here I was, 10 years after graduating with a Masters in science and I was still too sick to fully participate in life.
I was absolutely terrified that this was my lot
Unless I did something different.
I told a friend that I needed a retreat, he said: “If you want to go on a real retreat, go inside, pull the curtains, and do nothing for a whole day.”
WTF.
But that one day was so life-changing I kept going … for the best part of 12 months.
Here’s what I discovered
I learned that mind was meaner than I thought, but it meant well.
I learned that almost no-one knows the real value in doing nothing. That we all have this super power, but most of us never use it, except by accident.
As my relationship with my own mind changed, so did what I believed was possible.
I went from thinking I wasn’t creative to writing a successful blog, getting a book deal and having Jen Sincero tell me “you should teach creativity.”
I learned that our biggest obstacle is rarely a lack of talent. More often it's the endless commentary in our heads telling us why now isn't the right time.
I learned that creating is messy, uncomfortable, and hard, But also amazing if you can get over your mind drama.
Around here we explore things like:
How to stop your mind running the show.
How to create without waiting to feel confident.
Why doing less is often the fastest way forward.
How to finish the projects that matter.
How to be more creative than you ever imagined.
And how life becomes surprisingly easier when you stop believing every thought you think.
I wrote Whose Mind Is It Anyway? Get Out Of Your Head and Into Your Life (Penguin Random House), created RESET, a six-week wellbeing program for teenagers, and and have spent years teaching these ideas to people who wanted a lighter relationship with their minds.
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