i like kourosh dini
i learned zen and the art of work from him
his teachings include a "visit-based approach to work" [1]
you show up to a thing
stay for a single deep breath
and do absolutely nothing should you decide so
a perfectly understandable question then is:
"whats the point of doing nothing?"
is this just a waste of time
an excuse for "laziness"?
if youre suffering from a wandering mind
the fear of wasted time can fuel an urge for constant productivity
pausing, however, simply being with something we choose isnt about wasting time
it can help us rediscover agency, creativity, and genuine motivation
pausing with work puts you in front of this fear
and you look right into its eyes
like a deer looking into the front lights of your car
are you afraid?
maybe you are
but the confidence you need to overcome this fear wont come from busyness
confidence grows from honest, gentle engagement with whats in front of you, in direct experience
confidence is a trust of your own abilities
and trust, in turn, is developed slowly through repetition
so when you practice making visits, you not only give yourself permission to not perform
you more importantly create space for these emotions and ideas to surface
many of which may be worrisome if not downright scary
.
.
the beauty of regularly visits is that every time you show up
even without taking action
you practice being in those emotional currents
and you nurture a developing belief in yourself
you practice courage
and in practicing this with some craft daily
you often create a powerful stream of momentum
so if you find yourself resisting "doing nothing"
know that the worries may well go beyond a "waste of time" and into the emotional work
where we need to mount courage
emotional work is hard work
oh, one last thing before you go...
an american visited europe
but he never returned
he had a heart attack
idling through the day
trying to do nothing
god bless america
but if you enjoy sweet nothings
then i invite you to taste more sweet punchlines
naii "remembers fondly the encouraging honks he received when he walked around south nashville where everybody else was driving a car" io
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[1] https://public.hey.com/p/6Cpzr2A4ZnwpVhPo3PkhKsDE