Doing Nothing
Have you ever done nothing—for an hour? for a day? for a month? Have you ever simply stopped and sat still?
After years of marketing my business, striving to make myself better, learn more, publishing a book, giving talks, writing blogs, being interviewed on the radio and in newspapers and magazines, going so many places, seeking to be heard, seen, hired—DOING, DOING, DOING, DOING…
I arrived back at home. One day I made a conscious decision that instead of continuing like I had been doing for so long, I would do nothing, for as long as I wanted.
When people in my home community noticed I was doing nothing, a few became angry with me. Some were overtly judgemental. Others simply confused by my behavior. Everyone in my circle was wondering about me. After all, doing nothing is not a part of contemporary life.
I invite you to do this short exercise. Take out a piece of paper, and write on the top,
“If I do nothing.…”
Set a timer if you like. Sit quietly for one minute. See what bubbles up. After you have been still for a minute, finish that sentence. Write until you are complete.
I would love to hear from you how the exercise went. What came up for you?
Christopher Robin said: “What I like doing best is Nothing."
"How do you do Nothing," asked Pooh after he had wondered for a long time.
"Well, it's when people call out at you just as you're going off to do it, 'What are you going to do, Christopher Robin?' and you say, 'Oh, Nothing,' and then you go and do it.
It means just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."
"Oh!" said Pooh.”
—A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
That is exactly what I did.
Would you be willing to do nothing—for an hour—a day—a month?
