Do Nothing Club

from JoeUser Forums
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
 
The day is finally overcast.  Clouds are offering us shade from a brilliant and hot summer southwestern sun.  This morning we rose early to meet some friends at our new house under construction.  The wall framing is up and we did a tour of the house. Its wonderful.  From there we went to a yard sale, then on to our friend's home where My Little Honey served up a coffee cake she baked last night. We had a stimulating conversation where I showed myself a bit.  Hmmm. Sometimes we need to vent a-little, I suspect.  No worries.
 
So, home now I am faced with a day open and free...the kind I like.  This evening we will go to Rabbi Kane's for Shabbat dinner.  In between I will sometime do a run (or walk)  and a weight workout with a swim (perhaps) to cool off.  I also plan to draw out the presentation of my book club selection for Sunday.  And still have time for nothing. 
 
Having time for nothing is essential to us all, in my humble opinion. We have far too little time for nothing in this day and age.  Everyone multitasks, keeps to schedules packed, sometimes over stuffed, with things to do and few have open expanses of time to do nothing.
 
Its in do nothing time that our creative energies begin to emerge.  We are so often far too consumed with matters of consequence to be in touch with them, yet there they are just beneath the surface.  I am convinced earlier ages were far richer because of this.  Open expanses of time to do nothing... no TV, no radio, no computers... just this, encountering oneself in the natural world, are essential to our well-being.  
Fellow meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn suggests we get down on the floor at least once a day.  He suggests that such a change in vantage point, coupled of course, with the obvious doing nothing, I am adding does wonders.  
 
Perhaps we should start a new club, the Do Nothing Once a Day club.  I'll be the first charter member.
 
See ya!
 
Be well.
religion
1,409 views 2 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

I agree 100%!

One of the most distressing things I see is kids with no "do nothing" time. Their parents have them enrolled in every after school activity you can imagine, once the homework is done it's time to go to piano lessons, then karate then language lessons. Now don't get me wrong- it's great that these kids are enriching and expanding their horizons, but as you said, the most creative energies come from time in which you have nothing to do! And these kids will grow up afraid of having no down time, as they're used to always being busy, so too they will probably lead very busy, crowded lives which probably won't leave much time for contemplation and goofing off (the therapeutic effects of goofing off cannot be over-stated) I remember as a kid I was told to "go and play outside" which led to all manner of hijinx. Now, "outside" is a dangerous place to leave a kid (or so we are constantly told by the flickering idiot box in the living room)

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

I think I've been in this club for 5 years now. ;~D

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