Try Not To Obsess

I tend to obsess over certain things or situations. I spent a day at Cedar Point a couple weeks ago. Around lunchtime, I stepped into a cutesy pastel-colored establishment set up to look like a fifties diner. After waiting in line for fifteen minutes, I ordered a cheeseburger and waited five more minutes before the sandwich that I had paid eight dollars for was slapped on the counter in front of me. It was flat, devoid of the lettuce and tomato that the billboard had promised, and tasted nothing like a proper hamburger at all. I ended up having to throw the sandwich remains away when I couldn’t stand shoveling it into my mouth any longer.

I was completely disgusted with the way I’d been gypped. My family eventually became tired of me mentioning the expensive “hamburger-that-was-not-a-hamburger” episode. “Six times already you’ve told us,” they said.

“But I was cheated,” I said.

“Just let it go,” they replied.

Though I didn’t want to admit it, I knew they were right. I tend to obsess over things gone wrong. In this case, would my rants have changed anything? My ranting only stirred up my feelings, forcing me to think about the situation and making me feel worse than before.

Such overreaction from overthinking is not uncommon, but it’s usually not a good or profitable thing. Most of us can relate to not being able to stop thinking about something unpleasant that has happened. Those of us who are sensitive especially tend to overthink things, especially bad occurrences. I find myself overthinking, whether it be through fear or disgust, during times of spiritual disturbances and temptations; there can often be that discouraging thought, that ugly image, that uncomfortable situation, or that disturbing dream which refuses to leave easily and seems to haunt the mind. It provokes a fear of evil which can be hard to get over.

But when I focus on the terribleness of certain imaginings or circumstances, I find myself becoming even more disturbed than before. When we obsess over our fear, the enemy has power over us. We allow these bad happenings to disturb our internal peace, and the enemy is pleased if he can accomplish at least that much in a holy person.

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

~St. Theresa of Avila

Instead of dwelling on your temptations and misfortunes, think of God. Picture His Face, not the face of the aggravations you deal with. Turn to Him and think about Him, beg Him for the strength you need to overcome any evil in your life. Let God command your thoughts and everything in your life will follow His order. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). With Christ’s peace, the things the world puts forth will be powerless to aggravate you, whether they be unpleasant thoughts or subpar hamburgers, and the temptation to obsess over these occurrences will subside.