Over a decade ago a friend bought me The Art of Doing Nothing as a gift. I am sure some series of conversations prompted her to make the purchase. It took me another year or so to finally read the book and seemingly another series of years to begin to attempt the practice. I never noticed how much I was always doing something. Even my “downtime” was spent doing something: reading, watching TV, journaling, or napping. Never do I recall allowing much time to just do nothing. BUT then there was my semester abroad. I’ve been blogging about how transformative this experience has been and the art of doing nothing has been yet another gem. I’ve encountered people here who are just sitting. Not checking their phones. Not talking. Not writing. Just sitting. It is common to dine at a restaurant and remain undisturbed for extended periods. In the U.S. we often classify this as poor customer service, but here I take it as a respect for the art of doing nothing or in these instances, the art of enjoying company. When I am out with my colleagues and friends, meals don’t come in a haste (another difference is that meals are often made with fresh ingredients and notions of fast food are rare). The tab is not brought until we request it. This gives us the freedom to sit for as long as we’d like, uninterrupted, to just enjoy one another. Over time and honestly with some intention and some force (refer to my post about WiFi and TV channel options *insert eye roll*), I have begun to appreciate the art of stillness. I can now sit for lengthy periods of time and just do nothing. I welcome these moments and now yearn for them.
I have found that in stillness I am renewed. In stillness, ideas bud about new ventures and revelations. In stillness, I feel calm and peaceful. In stillness, I feel reconnected to God and hear small nudges about where I’ve been, where I am, and where I am going. There is joy in stillness; satisfaction in stillness; fulfillment in stillness. How will you find ways to cultivate stillness on today?