In my attempt to really calm down my frenetic activity, I’m trying to find some time in my days to just BE. It is much harder for me than I thought it would be. It turns out there’s lots of time for it. I always figured I could slow down if I wanted to. But when I tried, I ended up pulling weeds and cleaning the garage. It is strangely hard for me to just sit. I think maybe I was even avoiding it, but why??? Is it that our culture values activity? Is there something I am avoiding?
Martha Beck says that “the more we fill our time with tasks that aren’t real requirements of our best lives, the more blocked and uncomfortable we feel.” She says that irritability, boredom, and feelings of disconnection, being unable to unwind (Hello?!… me!) are all warning signs. The solution? Empty some time, then feel whatever arises. Deep breath.
Let’s spend the rest of this week talking about this… see you tomorrow!
Here are all my blog posts related to my one little word – “mindful.”
Pingback: Mindful progress – April OLW Bloghop | Poetic Aperture
Some of my best thinking and planning is done while I do the mundane things of daily life…folding clothes, pulling weeds, washing dishes…I think the mundane is highly underrated!
You pull weeds???
Love that Martha Beck – she is a super smarty. I often find my days filled with busy-ness instead of real making, which is usually a distraction created by a fear of something. I am an amazing filler-of-time when I don’t want to work on something that I’ve hit a stumbling block on. Oh and then there are those other “real requirements” like laundry, dinner, dishes, etc. that really are requirements but certainly don’t feel like the BEST life 😉
I’m big on getting those things done that are really not that exciting… the laundry and other cleaning things are always first. I think it’s because a calm exterior helps me with a calm interior.
I love the brilliant beauty of this….every bit of it.
soothes and settles something deep inside.
thanks for this powerful ponder,
Jennifer
Maybe an intermediate step is to spend some time each day dedicated to “thinking” (about possible blog topics?) or reading – which I know you do a lot of. Sometimes doing those things intentionally and for a dedicated period of time can create a window of calm and allow you to ease into nothingness…
I completely agree. I need more of those things.
Naomi,
“Time” is one of my most thought of about topics. I’d love to spend the rest of the week on this topic with you.
XOXO
Eydie
I read something yesterday that I thought was interesting; ‘The opposite of not doing everything isn’t lazy.’.
I LOVE that!!! Thanks, Patti.