From childhood, we are taught to do something every moment. We have learned that industry is the key to success. In our adulthood, we do our job, maintain our daily rush. All these together have created the illusion in our mind that the more we do, the closer we are to success.
Where in reality, working in the right direction is the key to success. We are never taught the importance of non-doing. And doing nothing is also an art. We have to learn it. First, we need to understand the importance of non-doing and second, how to do that. And finally, benefit from the non-doing state of your mind and body.
A rabbit works hard all day, moving very fast from one hole to another hole, but at the end of the day, it passes no distance.
How We Get Stuck in a Loop of Busyness
Let’s start with recalling your busiest day. How was that? You woke up very early in the morning. Got ready for work, left a lot undone, left caring for yourself. Maybe you forgot something that was important for a busy day. You then started your day with lots of stress, rush, increasing pressure, heartbeat. Your brain nerve was vibrating; you didn’t notice. Maybe you didn’t notice your child for the first time standing on his feet. You were in a hurry to get to the office. On the way, you had to face some congestion that disturbed you. You didn’t notice the beauty on the road.
At work, you didn’t notice there were a lot of opportunities to make your work better. It could have been done in a better way. Now you are regretting: if I did that, if I didn’t do that.
Coming back home, you were exhausted. You started thinking again about your work. You are spending your family time, but in the back of your mind, you are working. You are thinking about the appreciation of your work. Maybe you are thinking about the criticism you had to face today. On the bed, while trying to sleep, you face difficulties. You had a lot of appreciation today, only one or two criticisms. But forgetting the appreciation, you keep thinking about the criticism and hurtful talk repeatedly. You are trying to push them away, but they are not going away. The more you are pushing them, the stronger they are getting.
What Happens When We Have No Non-Doing Time
These are happening most frequently. As a result, after a certain period of time, we end up burnt out. We do a lot, but at the end of the year, we see our achievement is not as it was supposed to be. We see someone who was not as aggressive as we were and got more achievements than us. Once again, achievement is not the only parameter.
When we rush against the clock and go from one task to another, leaving no gap between, we don’t have any space to see what life has blessed us with. We go after one thing, but maybe life has given us more at our door. We lose the ability to notice that. One day from life is gone, but we did not live that.
In the materialistic sense, it’s true too. As we rush so fast, we lose the ability to see the areas of improvement, the opportunities to grow, and most importantly, the direction of the journey toward success. As we fill up every moment, we don’t have any room for ideas to be born, or to look for opportunities. We don’t have the opportunity to heal, observe the mind and body, and get ready for the next leap toward success. So, taking a pause and non-doing has tremendous value in our life. In fact, non-doing is the best thing to do—if properly done.
What We Get If We Pass a Non-Doing Time
Now, let’s try to pass a non-doing time. Bring a moment where we will do nothing. Nothing means nothing. Not reading a book, not mindfulness, not any good task—nothing. Just sitting quietly and doing nothing. Don’t try to do anything at the level of the mind too. Unlike meditation or mindfulness, don’t try to observe your mind and body either. Just live for a time without doing anything. Do not try to fix anything. We are not getting anywhere; we will not fix anything. We will have no objectives. If your mind is giving emotional pain or restlessness, do not try to solve it. Let everything be as it is. Keep your time flowing. Keep your eyes open while watching in front of you.
How to Do a Non-Doing Moment
At the beginning of doing nothing, it will seem weird, and useless—a waste of time. So, keeping at it will be difficult. So, do it for just ten minutes the first time, and little by little, increase the time span. When you pass a long span of non-doing time, say two or three days, you will understand the value of non-doing—not just theoretically but you will realize it. One thing to keep in mind is when you do nothing physically, that doesn’t mean you are doing nothing if your mind keeps looking for something. Make sure your mind and body both are doing nothing. Don’t try, just surrender and let your mind stay as it is.
Bonus Benefit from Non-Doing Moments
Doing nothing can relate you to the infinite intelligence within you. It may be in the form of a sudden insight, a sudden observation, a sudden way out you have been looking for years. After passing a successful non-doing time, use pen and paper and write that down. Again, keep in mind: don’t try to push your mind to provide you that. Don’t try, don’t do. Just be what you are.
Who Should Avoid This Practice
It’s not for you if you are already a person suffering from laziness. It actually works for people who are working hard to achieve a goal but are somehow stuck in a loop—missing the opportunity of living a precious life.
