THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING Believing in Yourself & Building Your Dream Life SHAURYA KAPOORCopyright © Shaurya Kapoor All Rights Reserved. This book has been self-published with all reasonable efforts taken to make the material error-free by the author. No part of this book shall be used, reproduced in any manner whatsoever without yn from the author, except in the case of brief written permissio! quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The Author of this book is solely responsible and liable for its content including but not limited to the views, representations, statements, information, opinions and references [‘Content”]. The Content of this book shall not constitute or be construed or deemed to reflect the opinion or expression of the Publisher or Editor. Neither the Publisher nor Editor endorse or approve the Content of this book or guarantee the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the Content published herein and do not make any representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose. ‘The Publisher and Editor shall not be liable whatsoever for any errors, omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause or claims for loss or damages of any kind, including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage arising out of use, inability to use, or about the reliability, accuracy or sufficiency of the information contained in this book. Made with ¥ on the Notion Press Platform www.notionpress.com descriptions,To every soul who overthinks & feels misunderstood.Contents 1. You Deserve Love 2. You Deserve Happiness 3. You Deserve Peace 4. You Deserve Healing 22 42 62CHAPTER | You Deserve Love if you're hurting today, know that this fee ling is only like all your other fe temporary. clings, 1f happiness could your heart so unexpectedly, this helplessness and ig Il also leave soon, You don’t need to be hard on pain ‘ cs ery day just because life is difficult. Just because ae carrying, mountains on your shoulders does not een there's no happiness left in your story. Life 's about trusting the universe, God, or whoever you believe in, especially yourself, and holding on to hope even on days when all you want to do is quit. You've come so far with a smile on your face and the kind of courage that can make warriors jealous. Don’t give up, okay?‘THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING Notice when you overthink the most. Is it when you're by yourself in your room? Is it even when you're surrounded by people? Is it at night before you go to beq? No matter who tells you what, you’re not a victim. You're not at the receiving end of something over which you've no control. You get to control your mind. Whenever you notice negative thoughts crippling in your head, distract yourself. Go for a walk. Talk to a friend. Start watching a show. Divert your focus entirely from those thoughts. It doesn’t mean you're running away from your thoughts. It simply means you're choosing not to engage with negativity. You’re choosing to focus on things that give you happiness instead of letting your negative thoughts consume you entirely.SHAURYA KAPOOR when you re Gverthiniking, Start questioning yourself pout why you are thinking that way. If your anxiety tell you youre going to fail the test, remind yourself that there's ay to find out what happens except waiting for the jts patiently, And even if you fail, it won't mean the orld has ended. I'm not saying your fears aren't real; all ['m saying is that you’re making yourself sad about things at may never happen by making up scenarios in your ad. Stop hurting yourself like that. If there’s pain in the future, let it be in the future. Overthinking complicates everything and simplifies nothing. You're allowing your inxiety to steal your smile when you can simply trust your journey, hard work, good heart, and intentions and walk ead with perseverance and courage.THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING When you're overthinking, call someone loves enough to not judge you for your thoughts and feelin Someone who doesn't invalidate your feelings, Someone who makes you feel understood and not unheard, Som who doesn’t make you feel guilty about feeling too Someone who will listen to you patiently. That coul bea therapist. § One Much, id even eek support when it’s required. Don’t beSHAURYA KAPOOR ihe your feelings down without lying to yourself, Tart feels lighter when you write about what's your it feel heavy. Did someone hurt you? What exactly mie do to hurt you? How does it make you feel? Write did : down. Even if it doesn’t fix the problem, you'll it i ubtedly feel better. I know sometimes there's nobody un Bar your heart into. Sometimes, you're struggling, and Baby ‘even knows you're going through all of it alone. sometimes, you're in pain, and the only person around is you. On days when there’s nobody to hold you until you feel better, resort to writing about your feelings. Nobody has to read them. It’s a way of letting it all out of your system so you don't feel so heavy anymore.THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING You're so amazing, but you keep forgetting that amazing people deserve amazing things, nol anx1ous thoughts and a heavy heart. You deserve to carry so much Joy within yourself that you can feel your heart overflowing. You deserve the best pancakes in the world, coffee that tastes like heaven, friends who support you at all times, a family that understands what unconditional love means and practices it every day, unending hope in your soul, fresh flower bouquets, someone to hold you on days when life gets complicated, soothing sunsets, and rainkissed afternoons. You deserve so much more than your anxiety is convincing you to believe. You deserve the kind of happiness that makes you wonder if it’s all really happening - if your life is, in fact, synonymous with the word happiness.SHAURYA KAPOOR lon't think your expectations were the problem, You much for the people you love, and therefore, you act things from them too. And that's completely okay, not supposed to keep giving and giving and giving out receiving even an ounce of affection from eone. And no, you're not asking for too much. You're ly even asking for the bare minimum. Love, support, affection, and respect aren’t things you need to be ning for. People will gaslight you into believing that need to lower your expectations. They’Il tell you you're problem because you don’t love them unconditionally." Why must you love someone unconditionally when they don’t feel the same way about you? When they don’t want to Jove you unconditionally, it]THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING You deserve joy even if someone you loved a lot stole all of it away and left without giving you closure. You deserve peace even if you've grown up in a house that could never be your home. You deserve sanity even if the world around you is determined to drive you crazy. You deserve calm even if people keep trying to put you through storms. You deserve to be loved for who you are, even if the people around you have convinced you to believe you don’t deserve to be loved. You deserve to laugh until your stomach hurts, even if people have hurt you in the past. Don't forget that you deserve all the great things in the world just because the people around you have failed to give them to you. Life can’t always suck. Things can’t always g0 downhill. Yo ur worth will be seen by the right people at the right time. And life will give up on the idea of hurtingSHAURYA KAPOOR People can choose not to believe in your dreams, Th, can choose to push you down and hurt you, and that's not, problem. People are seldom okay with Seeing other People grow. The problem begins when you start Subscribing to their ideas and thoughts. When you start believing that just because they don’t believe in you, you shouldn't believe in yourself either. That just because they think you're bound to fail, you will fail. Stop believing that someone else gets to decide how far you're destined to 80. The problem is not other people’s lack of belief in you but the f, ‘act that you’re convinced they’re right. They couldn't be more wrong, okay? You can achieve anything you want to in life. You can reach anywhere you intend to reach. You can be whoever you aim to be. And if nobody has told you this yet, hear it from me: I believe in you. You’re worth it.~ THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING There are moments when all we need is someone to liste, n tous. e for is someone to whom yoy i crav Sometimes, all you om an pour your heart out without thinking twice—withou ca the fear of judgment. Someone who ene judge your emotional state. Someone who doesn t question or invalidate your feelings. Someone willing to provide you with comfort beyond logic and reasoning. Someone who understands how to be there. How to stay with someone who's hurting until they feel better. There are people who care about you enough to listen to you without judging you or trying to convince you of the “correct” course of action. They know at that moment that you don’t need advice, you just need someone to vent to. They are your people, so keep them close, always.SHAURYA KAPOOR You had to go through the pain to become this relentless soldier even pain is scared of. You deserve to binge-watch cute cat videos on the internet, put on a cosy hoodie and read a book in peace. Rewatch your favourite show and listen to the birds sitting on your windowsill singing sweet songs. Take an afternoon nap with nary a care in the world. Set the AC temperature the way you like it. Order your favourite food and explore new movies. You deserve to be easy on yourself on days when life gets overwhelming. You must choose to be kind, gentle, and nice to yourself on days when it’s extremely difficult to do so. It’s okay to stop and smell the roses. It’s okay to relax for a while to rejuvenate. You don’t have to lose yourself in a productivity race just because everyone else is doing it. In case nobody has told you this lately— you don’t have to keep struggling at the expense of your sanity.THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING People’s love for you can be inconsistent, but your love q respect for yourself cannot be. There are days when you hurt yourself More than anyone else ever can. You say the worst things to YOursels without thinking twice. You bully yourself. You Question all your achievements. You make yourself feel so small, it's concerning. If you value yourself only when you're Shining bright —when everything's working out for you, and life is going great, you don’t value yourself at all. You value your achievements. Worldly accomplishments. It’s not you whom you care about; it’s what you’re doing and achieving. If this is the case, you're no different from your toxic ex, who loved you only when it was convenient. You need to love yourself even at your worst. On days when nothing is working out for you, and you're failing. On days when life is a complete mess and the world is pushing you away. On day: s when hope is a distant dream and holding yourself together becomes difficult. Dare to love yourself when it’s difficult. Dare to show kindnes S$ towards yourself when it doesn't come easily to you,SHAURYA KAPOOR It’s okay to let someone go when you're trying to be kinder to yourself. Someone who always makes you feel pad about yourself. Someone who insults you in front of other people and then calls it a “joke.” Someone who doesn’t respect you enough to believe in your dreams. Someone who mocks your dreams. Someone who feels great by making you feel horrible. So many people are a part of your life, but not many deserve to stay in your life. There are people who treat you terribly, and you still put up with their behaviour because you don’t want to let them go. You're hurting yourself, and they’re hurting you, too. If you love yourself, please don’t surround yourself with toxic people. People who cannot respect you and are determined to make you feel terrible will continue to do so until you chuck them out of your life. This is your sign to do it. Right now. Terrible days become good days when you get rid of terrible people.RS THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING Sometimes, you overthink because of the things have happened to you in the past. If someone you veg broke your heart, you question the intentions Of ever, ony who comes next. Any person who shows interest in y, : pushed away by you. You don’t trust people easily anym, i You find it harder to open up to people. It’s difficult for you to talk to people about your feelings. In case yoy can relate to this, please remember that not everyone is Boing ty shatter your heart. Not everyone will ridicule your feelin Is, Not everyone will walk away from your life easily. Don't close your heart to people only because of the actions of one inconsiderate person. Part of loving yourself is also acknowledging that you're someone who deserves boundless love, and being open to receiving it. It’s Okay to take some time to trust someone or get into a relationship with them, but it’s not okay to entirely give up on the idea of love because of someone who caused the kind of damage you had never imagined. You deserve to be loved, and you should never tell yourself otherwise.ne, SHAURYA KAPOOR If you feel like taking a break, allow yourself to take one. If you feel like going on a trip, don’t think twice, If you feel like calling a friend to tell them you miss them, do it immediately. Don’t overthink about things that don’t deserve second thoughts. You're not a war zone. Your life isn’t a battle. Not everything has to be carefully planned and executed. It’s okay to be impulsive. It’s okay to let your heart guide your actions sometimes. Feel your feelings completely in order to completely understand yourself and learn what exactly your heart craves for. Take the decisions that give peace to your heart and soothe your soul.THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING Consistent happiness comes with consistent self-loyeSHAURYA KAPOOR When good things finally start happening in your life, I hope you'll do better than thinking about what will happen if it all ends. I hope you'll embrace them with open arms and remind yourself that you deserve way more than that. You deserve the kind of happiness you've not even dreamed of having—the kind of joy that will astonish even you. Don’t think about the worst outcomes possible. Expect the best, and don’t settle for anything less, okay? 17SHAURYA KAPOOR hope you stop expecting yourself to be Perfect all the time. T hope you don’t ¢ ise yourself too much when things go wrong and remind yourself that you're only human and it’s okay to fall apart sometimes, | hope you don't stop yourself from being vulnerable because you always expect too much from yourself. [ hope you don’t lose sleep over situations you had no control over. hope you don’t sacrifice your peace over things you did not see coming. The truth is, you're imperfect, and so is everyone else. That’s what connects us all to each other. We're allowed to mess up. We're allowed to be heartbroken. We're allowed to shatter at times. Please don’t be cruel to yourself. Promise me you'll be kinder to yourself.THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING You can spend a lifetime knocking on doors that ate determined not to open, and it wont change anything, g46 trying to build space for yourself in the hearts of People who are living happily without you. Try to find happiness outside of them. You're overthinking day in and day out because of someone who didn’t even think twice before hurting you. You're breaking yourself because of someone whose love for you was a smoke break—a mere Pastime, You don’t need to cry over people who won’t bother wiping your tears. You don't need to overthink because of someone who isn’t thoughtful at all. Stop spending your life chasing after people who you need to let go of.One day, You SHAURYA KAPOOR ‘I realise how strong you've been all along. you will look back, and a smile will cover your face. (Sreeac CHAPTER TL You Deserve Happiness When someone breaks up with you and says, ‘You deserye better, it hurts until you accept that you genuinely do. You were earnest and honest about your love toa concerning extent. You thought they would change, but they never did. They kept breaking your heart and triggering your insecurities. They made you insecure about things you were never insecure about. They made you cry for hours and then made you feel bad for feeling bad. When Someone tells you that you deserve better, know it’s their conscience talking. They know what they’ve done to you, and you're blind to all the damage.SHAURYA KAPOOR People won't help you unless you're in a Position of power. People won't support you in the beginning but will be there to take credit when you finally make it. People will judge you for dreaming too big only to go around telling everyone how much they helped you to achieve your goals later on. You're overthinking because people aren't displaying faith in your dreams, when in reality, their faith is of little consequence. They will tell you that you're the best person in the world once you prove them wrong. They will support you when you don’t need their support. There are people out there who believe in your dreams because they believe in your potential. Listen to them and ignore the voices of others. Someone who isn’t making a contribution to your success doesn’t get to make comments on it either.Ee pe ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING 2 forgotten t Things your loved ones may have forg 0 tel fy let me: ; ; sol It’s okay if you were In love with the wrong Person jove isn’t for everyone, y, ° ae a Se ake you sie is precious. ™ crak bone things didn’t work iad in the past doesn, mean you don't deserve to dream as wildly as you want to, - Friends who betrayed you were people who simply didn’t know how to value your genuine friendship. It’s not about you. You didn’t deserve that betrayal. - You're not the opinions of a toxic teacher or 4 problematic boss. Nobody gets to make you feel bad about yourself. - You feel too much. You think too much. But you’re not too much. The world needs you more than you think. - People will hurt you, and sometimes they won't even be sorry about it. That's just life. Sometimes, people are — trash, and you cannot do anything about it.SHAURYA KAPOOR If you've grown up with a constant voice in your head telling you that you're not good enough, Promise me you’'l] not spend your entire adulthood listening to that voice. promise me you will choose to believe in yourself no matter how difficult it seems. Promise me you will be careful with your heart. Promise me you will never choose to hurt yourself. Promise me you will choose growth. Promise me you will always feel enough, even if the world tries to convince you otherwise.THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING i i r self-estee Toxic friendships will affect your self: 'm and Make overthink like no relationship ever can. There are ‘friends’ who will mock you in public + racy jokes about your insecurities, and make you the latghing stock so that they look ‘cool.’ Please know that frieng, are supposed to make fun of you in private, and that tog to a certain limit. Your boundaries aren’t Meant to hy overstepped. Friendship doesn’t give someone a free Pass to mistreat you—privately or publicly. There’s a difference between someone who's a friend and someon © who's keeping you around to make everyone laugh.SHAURYA KAPOOR When you're overthinking about things going wrong, remind yourself that a shift in perspective is all it takes to feel better sometimes. What if it all works out in ways you didn’t even imagine? What if your dreams translate into reality? What if you achieve everything you’ve wanted to achieve? Let your ‘what ifs’ be decorated with hope and self-belief. You don’t need to constantly push yourself down because your own thoughts are constantly lying to you. aTHE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING Things aren't as bad as they seem, and even if the remember that you're a good person, and beautiful thin Y ate always on their way to you, even if you can’t see them ¢, alg yet.SHAURYA KAPOOR People will not believe in you even when you a best to convince them that your plan makes sense, They il doubt you at cach step, but that doesn't matter. Their 7 bt in you and your potential shouldn't lead to self- oe You'll take a lifetime to recover from the fegrets of believing those few negative opinions that stopped you from believing in yourself.THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING It’s okay to tell people these oe fe | ; 5 ng me, or - Your words hurt me. Stop hurting me, AVE to 4 ‘ ill value you, but I can’t kee you to leave my life. I still value you, P You ap the expense of my mental health. _ Friends aren't supposed to make you feel anxious, stressed, and insulted. - You cannot talk to me like that. My love for you isn't your free pass to humiliating me. | I've given you enough chances, and your behaviour has remained unchanged. I’m sorry, but I cannot associate with you any longer. - There's a difference between jokes and mockery. You get to joke around with me, but you do not get to mock me, ~ There are certain things I'm not comfortable discussing. Please do not cross my boundaries.ad SHAURYA KAPOOR you can’t just turn off, your mind, tts difficult to vercome overthinking. But T think it helps te have the Sind of people in your corner. Someone to remind isi t your thoughts are merely thoughts that sometimes ca eaesioh to reality. Somcone to remind you that eae good person with pure intentions, and the universe wt send you back the good energy that you consistently ae ate the world. Somcone to hold your hand and tell you that getting out of your head is a prerequisite to getting closer to peace. On some days, that someone has to be you. You need to be there for yourself even when nobody else is around you.THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING 7 | ‘nq you can do to yourself is cling 4 The worst thing y i on 7% hope ‘te wid betray you. that’s meant to ve isn’ That person hurting you every day ‘Smt Capable Of change, and even if they're, they're choosing not ta Chang, themselves for the better. That job where yoy fee | demotivated every day isn't your dream job. You'll have to leave sooner or later. That toxic relative you keep givin, second chances to consciously chooses to add to your Pain, I believe people carry the potential for change, but | also believe that some people are just horrible people. They May be good to others, but they’re horrible to you. It’s a choi g ce. A conscious choice they make every day is not to be kind to you, not put in efforts for you, and make you feel terrible, Clinging to fading glimmers of hope, expecting them to be peter when you know they've not gotten any better despite u ea that you ve voiced out how they’re impacting you multiple times is a form of self-harm. Let them go.SHAURYA KAPOOR Gratitude is so understated. ‘There are so many things and people you have in life whom you often end up taking for granted. You've so much in life that other people crave for but never achieve or receive. Despite the pain and problems, your life has people with rainbow hearts. You've accomplished so many goals over the years. You've grown so much as a person. Please be grateful for your blessings. Be grateful for how the universe has been working in your favour, even on days when you’re cursing it. Be grateful for all the love that you've in your life. A life without gratitude is like the sun without light, the sky without stars, and the ocean without waves. You'll never be able to appreciate your life if you don’t focus on the things that did work out in your favour. 33‘THE ART OF NOT OVERTHINKING Please don't isolate yourself in the face of a cn isis, when things go Wrong, please don’t think the ; solution is to cut everyone offand become an island, en life stops making sense, you re not required to stop being friends with everyone. Healing happens when You're surrounded by love. The people you love will assis, You in ways you didn't even imagine. Isolation Waters overthinking. Isolation waters anxiety. Isolation Seldom leads to introspection or translates to solitude. [f you're going through something, please don’t force yourself , disconnect from people who wish you well. The People whose hearts would break knowing you’re keeping it all to yourself. Please open up to whoever you trust with your whole heart. They won't disappoint you. leSHAURYA KAPOOR I hope you never have to learn this the hard way, but someone who genuinely loves you won't ever be the cause of your overthinking. “You can't be anxious and in love at the same time. You can’t constantly struggle and also consider that person your soulmate simultaneously. The person you choose to love should empower you, not leave you powerless. They should always make you feel understood, loved, heard, appreciated, and respected. Someone who's triggering your overthinking can never be someone who adds to your peace and calms your soul.