Writing down your random thoughts is like rolling dice in the dark. You don’t know what number will come up, but you do know you’ll probably trip over the coffee table in the process. But, I have to say, no thoughts are truly random.
The human brain is often like a crowded intersection at rush hour, where every neuron is a taxi driver honking at each other. If you’ve ever felt like your mind is a chaotic mess of random musings, welcome to my world. I’ve come to realize that even the most bizarre thoughts come from somewhere deep within the twisted corridors of my mind.
No matter how bizarre your thoughts may seem, there’s always a source. It’s just often buried under layers of sleep deprivation and too much caffeine.
So, let’s talk about how we can organize these thoughts. Unfortunately for most of my life, me trying to organize my own mental clutter was like watching a squirrel on a sugar high trying to sort through a pile of acorns. Despite this, I’ve managed to become a somewhat competent writer, though I often trip over my words like they’re rogue Lego pieces. My sentences smelled meander more than a drunk trying to find their car keys. Still I persist, because writing is the only way to tame the madness swirling in my head.
Also, some of my best ideas come from these “random” thought sessions. When we write, we tap into parts of our consciousness usually locked behind a door labeled “Do Not Disturb.” If something seems to come out of nowhere, take a step back and ponder its origins. Trust me, it’s there, lurking in the shadows of your psyche.
Also, if you’re suddenly finding spontaneous thoughts popping into your head like firecrackers, it’s not random either. Rather, we’re acting on impulses we often suppress, like that sudden urge to shout “Bingo!” during a conference call. Some folks can’t hold back, others don’t want to, and then there’s me, still filtering out the really crazy stuff even in my private scribbles.
When you jot down a “random” thought, don’t just leave it hanging. Reflect on it, but don’t overthink it. Don’t treat your every thought like it deserves its own therapy session. Just briefly ponder and take note of it. You might unearth some surprising insights about yourself, or at least find the mental equivalent of that missing sock from the laundry.
Quite recently, I adopted a spreadsheet to capture my more fleeting thoughts. Some are intriguing topics but haven’t quite risen to the level of their own essay. I make sure to categorize these thoughts so that eventually I may string enough of them together to create something coherent. Otherwise you end up with endless scrolling documents, and we’ve all had enough doomscrolling to deal with in the smartphone age.
So, I encourage you to write down those seemingly nonsensical thoughts. Who knows, you might stumble upon a nugget of wisdom. More likely, you’ll at least have a good laugh at your own expense. Either way, it’s worth it.
~ Amelia Desertsong
