My father was raised in the Depression and became the ultimate workaholic. He was NEVER not doing.
If he caught me on the couch in front of the TV, he would quote Newton’s First Law…you know, “things in motion tend to stay in motion, things at rest tend to stay at rest”. In other words, get off your ass and do something.
So, “doing something” became who I am. Sitting and doing nothing is a challenge, which is probably why I struggle with a meditation practice. That voice in my head says that breathing isn’t enough.
As I have reached this stage in my life, I have determined that while his ruling might have been useful in getting stuff done, it is completely the wrong message for growth, for health and for learning.
I believe as a society that we have lost the art of pondering—we’ve forsaken the gift of time to just think and be. Time devoted to “being” is precious and necessary to recharge, to rest, to spur creativity and to outline a future game plan.
During this situation, we have been handed time to do just that.
Use it wisely. Don’t be afraid to be at rest. You might be shocked just how nice it is. But you will undoubtedly have to fight an inner voice that accuses you of being lazy. Sometimes, those voices are just not helpful or true, regardless of what Newton said.
