Sometimes It’s Best to Do Nothing by Kita Szpak
Reprinted from July 2011
How many of you have caught yourselves with a free moment only to chastise yourself for not filling it with something useful? I’ve called myself on this frequently – quietly telling myself “not to waste time” and to use the opportunity to run another errand, submit to a colleague’s teleclass invitation, load the washer, start dinner, go through my closet to choose what to wear to Saturday’s dinner, decide on my next article subject etc…
As you can see, I can fill any free moment I may have, and chances are, so can you. Our society has taught us well: doing nothing is a waste of time; being busy and taking control is pro-active and positive. But I think some of us may have missed the point here. Busyness for the sake of being busy actually detracts us from experiencing those free moments where we may not be engaged but the universe is – for our benefit!
Let me give you an example. I’ve been going home to my parents most weekends because my Dad has not been well. This coming weekend I’ve wanted to stay home as there are a couple of events on that I wanted to attend. All the while, my mind has been racing: how to not go up without offending or upsetting Mom and Dad. Between a rock and a hard place, you say? You’re right. So what did I do about it? I did nothing.
How can this be? What do I mean when I say I did nothing? Just that. As it turns out, I let the situation go; did nothing to try to control the outcome; and without any prompting or prodding, my Mom called to say that I didn’t need to come up. She wanted me to rest and felt it would be best if I stayed home that weekend. A coincidence? Maybe. But in a passionate life there are no coincidences – all things happen for a reason. IFYOU LET THEM.
Time is precious but we’ve mistakenly learned that it is only so when we cram every waking moment with “doing stuff”. Next time try taking that free moment that comes up, and do nothing for a change. Chances are while you’re having your quiet moment, the universe has your back, and is working to ensure things turn out just the way they should so that you can enjoy living a passionate life.
Kita is a writer, publicist and speaker. Book publishing credits include “You’re Special Wherever You Are” and “Tipping Point to Happiness” (co-writer Monique MacKinnon). Another passion: marathons with three to date. Visit http://picturebookstories.com + http://tippingpointtohappiness.com
