Doing Nothing

Doing Nothing


After a very stressful day, I gathered my things-to-do list and settled into my easy chair. As usual, I was mentally preparing myself to accomplish something productive. There was only a very short period of time left before Mister Sandman would bring me a dream.

The new-me (new to me) popped into my mind as I chanced a glance from my work list to the front door. Stretched as far as my imagination would allow was a vision of Spring brightness, lightness and just plain Spring Fever, begging me to succumb to just one plea. Doing nothing.

It was suddenly as clear as the evening air. This new-me said there is absolutely nothing wrong with...doing nothing!

And...

That's exactly what I did. Nothing. Well, almost nothing. I sat. I looked. The trees thin branches were already starting to show the light weight of new growth. I watched as the slight breeze moved them in a magical motion creating the illusion of constant motion in the blue sky beyond.

And...

I felt no guilt. This new-me revelation said "You have passed the half-century mark and you may now enjoy a Spring evening, doing absolutely nothing."

What a joy! There was no need to read, or study, or watch television, or listen to the radio, or play a tape, or play a disk. Time will not stop, the world will not end, and as a person I will not cease to be just because I have agreed to be doing nothing.

How did we attain such an inglorious lifestyle which dictates that we must always be achieving, producing, acting? Who cares? When all of the sand has reached the bottom of the glass, which end is up? Flip it over and you start over.

Each grain of sand represents a something, and no one knows what that something really is. What we do know is that as we live, any portion of that something may change history. Or, may change nothing. We suddenly become overjoyed with the knowledge that we truly can, without bringing harm to anyone, accept the premise that to do nothing is not necessarily wrong.

You probably won't need a Spring evening, or a Summer break or a Winter hiatus to take a little time, anytime to just do nothing.

The real thing this new-me proved to me is that you do not, must not, feel guilty.

When I chanced a glance again through the open door, the scene had changed so dramatically that the precious feeling I had accepted earlier was no longer there. But there was no sadness now, only gladness that I had used that time to partly recreate me.

Doing nothing was suddenly a joyous something.

Try it.