Note 007
Here’s a note I’ve been carrying around for a while.
Actually…
I’ll leave it here for free.
The message is more important than the messenger.
Sit with that for a minute.
The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized that one sentence has changed the way I move through life.
When we’re younger, we tend to decide whether we’ll listen based on who’s talking.
Do I like them?
Do I agree with them?
Do I respect them?
Do they live the kind of life I want?
And while those questions certainly have their place, I’ve learned something that has served me well.
Wisdom doesn’t always arrive in the package we expect.
Sometimes the person giving you the lesson isn’t someone you admire.
Sometimes it’s someone you disagree with.
Sometimes it’s a stranger.
Sometimes it’s a child.
Sometimes it’s someone on television.
Sometimes it’s a judge talking to a young man in a courtroom.
Sometimes it’s the cashier at the grocery store.
Sometimes it’s your own mother saying something she’s said a hundred times before, but suddenly…it finally clicks.
Life has a funny way of teaching us if we’re willing to pay attention.
I’ve always been fascinated by one-liners.
A sentence from a movie.
A comment in a conversation.
Something I overhear standing in line.
A quote from a news anchor.
A child asking an innocent question.
Most people hear it and move on.
Me?
I carry it around for days.
There goes my overthinking again.
But I’ve realized that’s one of the gifts of being an overthinker.
We don’t just hear words.
We look for meaning.
One of the reasons I started Overthinkers Notes is because I believe everyday life is constantly handing us little pieces of wisdom.
The challenge is slowing down long enough to notice them.
Now, don’t misunderstand me.
I’m not saying every piece of advice is good advice.
Please don’t believe everything you hear.
You already know how I feel about filtering information.
Use wisdom.
Use discernment.
Trust your judgment.
But don’t dismiss a valuable lesson simply because you don’t like the person delivering it.
That’s where we sometimes miss out.
I’ve learned confidence from an HR representative after my father’s passing.
I’ve learned patience from my children.
I’ve learned grace from my husband.
I’ve learned courage from complete strangers.
I’ve even learned what not to do by watching other people’s mistakes.
That’s a lesson too.
Every person you meet knows something you don’t.
Every season has something to teach you.
Every experience—good or bad—leaves behind a note if you’re willing to look for it.
As we grow…
As we heal…
As we mature…
I hope we never become so convinced that we know everything that we stop learning from ordinary people living ordinary lives.
Because sometimes the greatest wisdom doesn’t come from an expert.
Sometimes it comes from a sentence you almost ignored.
A Note for Today
Never become so focused on the messenger that you miss the message. Wisdom has a way of finding us through the most unexpected people.
A Little Something to Think About…
What’s one sentence someone said years ago that you still carry with you today? Maybe it’s time to thank them—or maybe it’s time to pass that note on to someone else.
Until the next note,
Your Resident Overthinker
Overthinker’s Notes 