Is Doing Nothing Really Just as Important as Doing Something?
A couple of years ago I wrote this article . It’s about the value of doing NOTHING. I was reminded of it earlier this week when I ran into someone who said, “I remember that article and it really helped me.”
So, I went back and looked it up again. Boy, have things changed for me since writing that!
— I discovered I was in adrenal fatigue
— Half of my staff left to start their own practices
— I closed my school because I was working 28 days in a row, trying to accomplish everything myself (oops!).
So things have been slowing down for the past year and a half. Now, at the end of a 5 year lease on my office, I’ve found a new office to move to at the end of this year which will change and simplify things even more.
You would think all this would be good, right? And mostly it is, really really! However, moving though all of this really pointed out to me just how “stuck” we can get in “achieve/do” mode. How we attach our self worth to what we accomplish; how it becomes part of our identity and feeds our ego. While I know I’m doing the right thing for myself, my health, and my family by taking on less, there’s a part of me that whispers “shouldn’t we be DOING something?”
Maybe you can relate. Especially if you have issues with stress & anxiety.
So I do self hypnosis and the Inner Conflict Resolution technique and I am definitely making progress on quieting and satisfying that voice. That my “not-doing” is actually an accomplishment in itself. I am healing. I know that because of both mental/emotional changes and physical changes, all for the better.
Now that we’re coming to the end of summer — it’s supposed to be a bit cooler next week, and you know what’s coming next up here in Minnesota — I’m reminded of the effortless way that nature changes. There’s no question of “will I resist or accept this change” for a tree, or a squirrel, or any part of nature. Change is simply part of nature. There’s a lot for us to learn from that.
As you move into this new season and new seasons in your life, whether now or in the future, I hope this article can be helpful to you, like it was for the person I ran into earlier this week. As it has been for me. Learning to slow down and take time for yourself is a skill, at least for us humans. I hope you’ll add it to your own skillset, or deepen your abilities in that area, as I’m working on myself!
I’m going back outside to sit and enjoy listening to the cicadas!
Cindy
