In Celebration of the Joy of "Doing Absolutely Nothing!"

This afternoon — while doing some more yardwork to get ready for spring — I found myself reflecting on the joy of being on vacation and doing absolutely nothing.
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In 2015, @cosmictriage and I spent three weeks in Denmark, the country where I was born and raised.

For three lovely weeks, we had "nothing to do," in the sense that the clamor and demands of everyday life were nowhere to be found. And I realized how much I feel connected to the idea of doing nothing.

I spent a lot of time "just sitting" and thinking about life and the world and the human condition... against the backdrop of a family summer cottage where I spent many a summer holiday as a kid.

When I am on vacation, I am just not one of "those people" who feels compelled to cram "activities," and museum visits, and all manners of excursions into my every waking moment... for me, the entire purpose of being on vacation is that it represents an opportunity for me to totally "unplug" without feelings of guilt.

So I do.

I often reflect on the undeniable fact that my most desired state is "stillness."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not faulting anyone who wants to be "on the go" all the time while they are on holiday... just don't expect me to follow you!

Neolithic burial site in the woods, Denmark

Back in the Day...

Back in my 30's, I spent a fair amount of time studying and experimenting with a personality typing and personal development system known as the Enneagram. Nope, nothing sinister or occult about it... quite harmless, and often insightful and useful.

Within those circles, I was often believed to have an issue with "emotional sloth" because I preferred to just sit and let my brain go slack, as opposed to "engaging" with someone, or something.

I always found it ironic, because at the same time we tend to laud people for seeking out meditative practices to silence their ever active "monkey mind."

I went to a lot of meditation retreats... where I gradually learned that "sitting in silence" was my natural state. It wasn't something I really needed to be taught.

If anything, what I needed to be taught was to actually enjoy the social aspects of life, rather than viewing them as a chore I'd just as well avoid, were I offered a choice.

Except for a small handful of people whose company I enjoy one-on-one, I still have mostly aversion to socializing. Odd thing to say, perhaps, considering that I am writing these words to publish on a social content web site!

"Doing nothing," does tend to be a pretty solitary pursuit...

Undoubtedly, it is my recent bout of "overworking" that's making me long for being able to sit still and do nothing... but I also recognize that it is a "luxury" that very few get to enjoy, in this modern world of ours.

So I'm grateful for the few small moments I get; moments where I just get to sit, and do absolutely nothing!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your week!

Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation! I do my best to answer comments, even if it sometimes takes a few days!

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Created at 2023-03-29 00:35 PST
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