Once again, our friends at Brains on Fire have given us a well-needed kick in the pants. This post has inspired me to get off the frenzied, always-be-productive treadmill that has been my life. When was the last time I spent a chunk of time with no agenda, nothing specific to accomplish? It’s been a long time since I did nothing for even half an hour. I’m always trying to make “efficient” use of every chunk of time.
In spite of my frenetic drive to make every second count, I know that “doing nothing” has payoffs. I expect to reap these benefits from just wandering and wondering, as BoF puts it:
- Refreshment that comes from getting out of frantic mode
- Piqued curiosity, seeing connections and having insights that are new and fun
- Greater awareness and mindfulness – seeing the beauty in simple things
I am hoping for spiritual and physical renewal, but I also know that is an unrealistic expectation to have from taking a 30-minute break. Just think of the great thoughts I could think…or not. Maybe I’ll just “be” instead and let go of the expectation to make every second count.
Need to give yourself permission to stop for a bit? We’ll help.
Photo from Dollar Photo Club.
Great post! I love carving time out to just “be” and let the Universe share with me whatever it desires…some of my best work has come when I’m doing no work at all.
This makes me think of recent news stories related to vacation time and how we, as Americans, are averse to actually taking our vacation time. There is a list of reasons why we tell ourselves taking time off creates more work than just working; however, I would assert that’s just another BS story we tell ourselves to support our own sense of “indispensability” (if that’s even a word;-)
Experience shows the world moves on whether we’re engaged with it, or not; so, we may as well take the time to renew our physical selves with rest and relaxation, rekindle our relationship with our “self” and those we care about, and give our minds and souls time to simply “be”…ahhh, I feel relaxed already.