Doing nothing is not always laziness. Sometimes it means becoming still enough to observe what life is presenting—and wise enough not to join every parade that passes by.
We are motion machines.
At times, we do not want to turn ourselves off. At other times, we allow ourselves to run on automatic.
Either condition can produce stress, unrest, willfulness and another damaging dynamic that slowly creeps into our private lives: We allow life to become a blur.
Everything runs past us without enough distinction between the different subjects, choices and experiences.
YOU ARE OVERRUN
In essence, we can become caught on a mental, emotional and psychological treadmill.
The mind is never at rest. It continually searches for stimulation, distraction and filler—substitutes for satisfying, effortless living.
Being alive is mostly self-sustaining. We do not have to force every moment, fill every silence or respond to everything that enters our awareness.
OVERSTIMULATED LIVING
Many people rely upon one thing to get themselves going and something else to bring themselves down.
Their days become a cycle of stimulation and recovery. Rest begins to feel uncomfortable, silence feels empty and stillness seems like something that must be escaped.
This can quietly interfere with sleep, health, judgment and peace of mind.
The answer is not to condemn people who struggle. It is to recognize the danger of losing the natural ability to become still.
OH, LOOK—A PARADE!
Life can be viewed as a series of parades.
Imagine that interesting and fascinating parades pass before you throughout the day. For whatever reason, you decide to join every one of them.
You march in one parade, leave it and immediately enter another.
Eventually, you may become unaware that you are acting from compulsion rather than choice.
Is joining everything really the same as having it all?
WATCH THE PARADES
Now imagine that the parades do not require you to march.
They are simply presented for you to observe, consider, enjoy, question or learn from.
In other words, you remain the surveyor and chooser of your journey. You can accept or reject what is offered.
It is perfectly all right to sit some parades out.
HAVING IT ALL?
This keeps us in our natural position of being responsible for our own lives. It also helps us become good stewards of the life experience.
Consider a child entering a candy store and becoming overwhelmed by everything presented.
The colors, smells, displays and possibilities are everywhere.
Having access to all of it may actually work against the child. Too much choice can make a person numb and unable to decide.
MODERATE THIS
We cannot consume more than we can handle without eventually experiencing discomfort.
But suppose I tell the child, “Choose one or two things at the most. We can always come back another time.”
Now the true self must focus.
The child looks more carefully, makes a choice and learns that satisfaction does not require possessing everything in the store.
BE SELECTIVE—USE REJECTION
After making a choice, we can enjoy the fruit of that decision and allow the experience to enter our memory.
We become better for it.
Remember that part of receiving satisfaction was rejecting the overload and refusing the invitation to have everything at once.
We were never meant to have everything we want whenever we want it, even though that possibility is constantly offered to us.
MY PORTION WILL DO
What we really seek is our proper portion in life.
It is that simple.
We are seeking satisfaction, contentment and closure. Those things do not necessarily require quantity. They often require quality—and sometimes denial.
The principle of less is more can bring satisfaction in the end.
Called moderation, it complements us instead of dominating us.
EASY DOES IT
Have you ever eaten that second helping?
You know the one.
You are already full. You are content. But something presents itself in such an alluring “you can have it” way that you accept the invitation anyway.
If you merely observe it, you receive one outcome.
If you indulge, discomfort, regret and guilt may enter.
Why?
Because enough had already arrived, but we did not recognize it.
SELECTIVITY AND DISCRETION
The same principle applies to almost anything.
How much can one person eat, spend, acquire, travel, consume or pursue?
Instead of automatically participating in everything, we can observe what is offered and deliberately choose one of the available pleasures.
Then we can be content with participating without saturating ourselves.
This requires discipline.
CENTER YOURSELF
Take stock of yourself.
Learn to step away from excessive thinking—the kind of sinking into thought that can lead to obsession and compulsion.
Become an observer and then a receiver of what life presents, while retaining your natural authority to choose.
Find your center before making your selection.
DOING NOTHING CORRECTLY
There is a way to do nothing correctly, and it will be different for every person.
Find your way. Work with it. Tame it to your satisfaction.
The world that presents itself afterward will appear more meaningful and possess greater depth.
Keeping ourselves from automatically wanting everything we see, hear, taste, touch and smell can lead to a truly abundant life—without requiring an abundance of anything.
FINAL THOUGHT
Doing nothing correctly does not mean abandoning life. It means becoming still enough to decide what deserves your participation. Not every invitation is an obligation, and not every parade is yours to march in.
PEARLS INSIGHT (SEO)
Stillness and moderation can reduce mental overload by creating space between what life presents and how we respond. Intentional rest, selective participation and contentment help us protect our energy while making more satisfying choices.
PEARLS FROM THE BOOKS
True abundance is not having everything within reach. It is recognizing your portion, receiving it with appreciation and knowing when enough has arrived.
PEARLS CONNECTION
Choose one part of your day in which you normally react automatically. Pause, observe what is being offered and ask, “Do I really want to participate—or can I allow this parade to pass?”
RICHIE SPEAKS
You do not have to chase everything that moves or accept everything that is offered. Sometimes your greatest act of self-control is to sit still, watch it pass and remain satisfied with your portion.
FINAL SAY
When you learn how to do nothing correctly, you stop being carried by every movement around you—and begin choosing the movements that belong to you.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
Website: https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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