My friend Sarah has coined a phrase, “I can’t be left unattended in my head.”

We tend to completely over-think and over-analyze. How many of us carry on conversations with other people in our heads – sometimes to the point of being sad or angry or feeling some other emotion – despite the fact that no words have actually passed between us? Particularly when we’re in the midst of a difficult time in our lives, it’s easy to allow the “right here” cloud our view of the big picture.

I remember when I was learning to drive, my dad taught me to look at the car in front of me to help me stay within the lines on the road. If I stared at the lines, and tried to steer in between them, I fought the entire time to stay straight. When I lifted my eyes and looked ahead, driving became much easier.

In the same way, if only for a moment, we are able to pull ourselves out of our heads and gaze upon the full picture of our life, we can sometimes gain the perspective needed to dig back into the “right here” and use our present circumstance well. Pulling ourselves out of our own heads may require reaching out to a friend to talk through (not necessarily answer!) our struggle. Or perhaps memorizing a phrase or a verse would help. Whatever works for you, do it!

Getting out of my head and regaining a right perspective works for me! For more thoughts on other topics, check out Rocks in My Dryer.