Take time out to do nothing

Do nothing is often equated with wasting time and consequentially being labeled a lazy, good for nothing, wastrel. Yet today’s post exhorts the reader to make a conscious effort to do nothing and reap rich dividends in ways least thought of or expected. The objective of doing nothing is equivalent to sleeping after a hard day’s work; to be rejuvenated, relaxed and refreshed. The difference is that doing nothing must not be a daily ritual like sleeping but a self motivated break availed of perhaps a couple of times a year. While one can afford the luxury of doing nothing whilst on a holiday it is essential that our mind is calm, the locale is idyllic and there is no pressure of any sort.

Skeptics must already be wondering if this is some sort of crude joke on unsuspecting victims for our culture, our upbringing and societal norms do not allow for the luxury of doing nothing. However if you were to see yourself as a sponge that has soaked itself fully with all the knowledge, the experiences and the pressures of daily life, it is apparent that you need to let out the intake and become dry. Weekends and holidays are designed to allow you the luxury of drying out systematically. Doing nothing however is not in the mould of being squeezed or spin dried but is the equivalent of hanging in the sun to luxuriate and take in the sunlight whilst drying at one’s own pace. Take a look at the forced dried clothes (often crumbled) or barely dried clothes during the monsoons ( still a wee bit moist and smelly)to know the difference.

So how does doing nothing benefit us?

It has a calming effect since it is self induced and a conscious choice made to allow the mind to idle ( like a car engine) without any movement or activity.
It gives one a myriad of possibilities none of them of serious enough to be fretted over but sufficient to trigger possibilities for the future (ever tried making objects with Lego pieces)
Doing nothing will let you avoid the guilt of feeling that you are wasting your time and yet it will give a balance and anchor to your otherwise tempest life. ( if you accept the reality that following traffic signals regulate your travel experience better, then waiting for a signal change will never stress you)
In doing nothing you allow your subconscious to freely roam around and they will form patterns that you never knew existed. Suddenly you see that your life has a new meaning and fresh perspective and suddenly you realize your own worth and importance in the schema called life.

Try this:

Take a blank sheet of paper and randomly sprinkle some drops of paint or ink. Now visualize a work of art / pencil sketch in which all those dots will be connected. Using a pencil or pen outline your sketch.

Those who would like to explore the concept further are welcome to attend a Vipassana Course.

Read this very interesting article by Mr. Arthur Gordon – Turn of the tide. The article originally appeared in Reader’s Digest and is being shared in 3 parts. Click the following links to read each of the three parts

Part – I – http://tinyurl.com/q62hpo4