Monday, October 5, 2009

Doing Nothing

I accidentally took this picture while attempting to put the lens cover back on my camera. When I downloaded the pictures onto my computer I saw this one and it made me stop. I didn't remember consciously taking a picture of relaxing by the sea with a book. I liked looking at it, it made me feel as if there were no other pressing things on my docket, it took me back to the ocean with all the sounds and warm breezes. I felt relaxed, I captured a moment without even trying. Do you feel the calm, uninhibiting call to put the grind behind you and mesh with nature where you can get away from it all; the urge to delve into a book, where your mind can escape? A place conducive to transporting your mind to a pace where time slows down and you feel yourself catch up, wind down and have a moment to just be?
The older I get the more I just want to slow down and enjoy! At times life tends to be a task master, your schedule the constant reminder that you should try to be super woman and get all the items checked off the list. The more you do the better you are, the less idle time you have the more successful you feel. It's a race against who? Oursleves, friends, The Jonses', society? But I ask, with all this time eaten up with; do-this, go-here, juggle-that, where does the time fit in for nothing? Nothing to many people means laziness, boredom, lacking in ambition, a vice that can lead to bad habits. Keep going lest you stop long enough to be tempted. Tempted to what? Tempted to get to know yourself, tempted to let your mind rest long enough to listen to your conscience, tempted to actually talk to God. Being still long enough to spill out the sludge of stress, to get away from monotonous everyday life chatter and embrace the void can be excruciating to humans because we hang on to what's tangible, instant and comfortable, even if it exhausts us and makes us feel good on some level. The idea of nothing scares us! It is a place where we don't have control and may end up facing the fears of the unknown or the fears of facing the bigger questions of self or God.
Are you afraid of nothing?
I guess I didn't mean to let my thoughts take me this far, this post started as thoughts about relaxation. In the end my point comes full circle....in order to relax, doing nothing has it's place.
What does "doing nothing" mean in your life?




3 comments:

  1. I love doing nothing... in fact, I think it's my favorite passtime! When I grow up, I'd like to be a cat, 'cause they get to do nothing all the time! ;)

    I love this accidental picture you took. I guess it was a sign for you, a reminder to take those breaks and renew your spirit.

    Lisis

    PS: We're now officially settled in Vermont... for a while. :)

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  2. Good to hear from you. I dis think about you whenI wrote this....because I rememeber you saying exactly what you said when you were here in Austin. The pictures in Vermont are breathtaking. The East is always so colorful! Hope you are settling in and enjoying new adventures. Hunter is so big by the way. He also reminds me of the Prince in Ella Enchanted. HANDSOME!

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  3. I loved this...I do do alot of nothing and thought I was being lazy, and passive on some tasks getting done, at a certain time. But my house still would be there and there will always be a dish to wash, a load of laundry to do. So why not just do nothing, read, sit, ponder on God's goodness. This was great for me today. Thank you. -Rachel

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