Friday, September 25, 2009

The Joy Diet...a week of nothing (or not)



   Before deciding to write this post today I have to admit I cheated and went to visit my fellow bloggers to see how their week of 'Nothing' went. It gave me the courage to write today's post because you see I was  sure I had failed miserably at doing 'nothing' this week.
   I am one of those people that can honestly say I don't think the words 'I'm bored' have ever crossed my lips. I always have something to do, something I want to do and mostly stuff I have to do! Sitting and doing nothing is not something I am accustomed to, even when I am sitting, I'm either reading, writing, stitching or doing some type of art. Forget about doing 'nothing' when standing or moving, if my hands aren't engaged, my brain is! I even have trouble turning down the volume in my head when trying to fall asleep, constant thoughts and ideas keep the synapses in my brain firing at all times. Even in sleep the craziest dreams seem to occupy the grey matter.
   On Monday I drove over to the beach to walk, should be easy to turn of the brain at the beach right? Not so much...I even went so far as to attend a yoga class on Tuesday, 90 minutes later I felt great but still hadn't really done nothing, after all, those poses and movements had to be thought about as they were relatively new to me. By Wednesday I was confined to the house with a ghastly head cold that plagues me still today. Even with my head feeling like a concrete block I couldn't manage to do 'nothing'.
   Pretty much I figured I had failed at this little exercise, that was until I started reading everyone else's posts. I wasn't the only one having difficulty with this...it turns out it's not so easy to turn off your brain even if you do manage to stop the physical movement of your body. Some people had success at meditation, never one of my strong suits. The closet I come to meditation is prayer, however my brain is still engaged when I praise and worship my God. I can also zone out, as it were, when making art, or gardening, or ironing. If my head is quiet and my hands are busy is that doing nothing??? I wasn't convinced that qualified.
   Then I had an epiphany...I have been wanting to go to my cabin, I always feel a longing to do so when I feel the day to day pressure getting to me here at home. Certainly my time there is often spent, antiquing, cooking, visiting friends...not doing 'nothing' but I can do 'nothing' if I choose to when I'm there. All I have to do is sit on the front porch and gaze across the yard and stare at the quaking aspen tree that sits in clear view. I love that tree...I can sit and watch it for hours, just watching it wave it's leaves at me as if greeting me, welcomimg me back to my cabin. So my vision card today is a picture of the quaking aspen tree...I have to get back there soon to visit it, before long, winter will take it's leaves and I will not see my friend waving until next spring.

                        Diva

20 comments:

  1. you write in a very simple manner and thats why I read your posts when im free, believe me or not? and it's too good to be honest, just relax and I wish you success for all that you do or don't do.. hahaha

    have a happy weekend!
    love Naqvee

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  2. Nothing was a struggle for everyone. Some days were easier, others were harder. I'm sure as we go through this journey we will find a way to embrace doing nothing. :)

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  3. Epiphanies are brilliant aren't they? They make us feel so good!! I'm glad you had one.

    Cheating? I don't think you cheated to see how others had fared...I think it gave you the comfort to know you weren't alone and the courage to keep trying!

    Looking forward to discovering our truth this week.

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  4. My nothing diet sucked I got "sucked into life!! Oh well...

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  5. I think failing is impossible. It's all part of the path: doubts and attemps and I'm sure you will get on with nothing while pratising it.
    We ALL have these ping-pong thoughts. That's the Western curse, maybe. Accept it and go on...
    I wish you all the JOY while doing it!

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  6. wow....doing nothing?!! i would have had a terrible time with that! i'm like you....i'm always doing something, and if i can mulit-task, even better! your idea of the cabin is great, though, because the only time i get close to doing nothing is when i'm on vacation, away from home! have a great weekend! :))

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  7. What a beautiful tree, I can completely relate to your having a hard time shutting down, I found it difficult also. And in the end, like you I found the nothing spot in nature! See you next week for the truth.

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  8. I don't think I ever do "nothing". I am always doing something, but a lot of my somethings are things that relax me. I do spend quiet time with the Lord in prayer and time to think, but like you said, I am still doing something. I don't think there's anything wrong with it! :0)

    I hope you have a great weekend!

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  9. I think I'd have a very hard time doing nothing as well...I always seem to be doing something! I always admire those who can sit there and meditate and clear their minds, because that's something I've never been able to do. As you say, even in sleep my dreams keep me going! lol I do hope you're able to go to your cabin again soon:-) xoxo

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  10. 'nothing' depends on how your day is going :) ha ha, sorry. i know this type of 'nothing' is open to everything :) i know, i know. ok, seriously though, once you get a better feel for nothing it can become quite addicting, or at least it has for me. i really enjoy my nothing time, i have gotten a lot of joy out of it.

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  11. First, thank you for visiting my blog. I am now following yours and what I have read I surely enjoy. Like your previous comments, I too can't stop my mind from "thinking." Everything I read or hear can take me to places that just pop into my mind. I just accept it and work with what I got.
    Have a great weekend...Blessings

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  12. I don't think I could ever do nothing. That sounds like hell to me. I just love being busy, Busy, BUSY! I get all my job from being active and thinking and doing!

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  13. Gee, Diva, I feel like I should have read the book so I could appreciate fully the scope of what it hopes to teach!

    Nothing would be impossible for me to do if I was anything but bed-ridden and drugged beyond my capacity to think. Don't feel bad about your week - thinking and doing are the nature of the beast.

    That being said, I would take me some cabin with quaking aspen........yes I would!

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  14. Love this post!!!!!
    We had a cabin we rented one week each year in the fall for the colored leaves time (for about 12 years) until we couldn't afford it anymore (darn kids who need clothes and food and allowance money and... You know I'm just kidding, right?!!). Anyway, each year when the air get crisp in the mornings I long for my cabin in the north woods of Michigan!!!
    Amy

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  15. I would never be able to handle doing nothing. I don't do yoga because I'm always using the time to think about laundry, dusting...
    Maybe doing nothing for a day or even an hour is a more realistic goal? I'll give it a try and let you know!
    Thanks for stopping by my blog and wishing me luck:)
    Tracy

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  16. Yes to Epiphanies! I could imagine myself in a cabin looking out at Mother Nature and doing NOTHING. Sounds good to me!

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  17. Oh yes, me too!! I'm never bored either. Who has time these days to get bored? I do love the sound of that cabin.

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  18. Yes it is hard for me too...especially at night...I keep a notebook by my bed so I can jaunt things down. I hope you feel better soon...I just got over that nasty head thing...no fun. cherry

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  19. It's so wonderful that you discovered your OWN way to experience nothingness.... and what a beautiful tree! Until you can be there, imagine being there... it just might trigger the same nothingness response! :)

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  20. Thank you for sharing your experiences with nothing. I think we all struggled a bit this week with finding our nothing groove. I know I did.

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