Doing Nothing

“So what are your plans? What are you going to do for work? Where are you going next?”  I get these questions A LOT.

My standard I-respect-you-and-your-time answer has been:
“Not sure. Going with the flow. aka, Lost.” (or roughly translated to Tagalog, Ewan).

But if time weren’t an issue, my soapbox you’ll-be-sorry-you-asked answer would be:
“You know how it is when you’re trying to write something, and nothing is flowing, and one day through no effort or skill of your own, words start rolling out of your fingers? Or when you’re trying to decide between two options, you wait a few days and suddenly the answer becomes very clear?

These experiences hint at the fact that the universe has a ‘way’ that we cannot fully fathom. In all human endeavor, luck, timing, inspiration, and a whole battery of other nebulous factors out of our control, are in play. The act of creation (of art, of businesses, of our next steps) is orphic, and the universe is a wondrous yet complex co-creator. One thing is certain, though. If we respect the ‘way’, she will eventually clear a path for us. It’s quite like groping around in the dark — you feel only walls until you don’t, offering space to move forward. Or like turning a key in a lock — you jiggle against resistance until there is none, allowing effortless unlocking.

The ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism prescribes a way to navigate this profound mystery. Life, it emphasizes, should therefore be a balance between Wu Wei (loosely translated to ‘Doing Nothing’) and Wu Bu Wei (‘Doing Everything’). There is a time and place for each one.

We all know well the concept of ‘Doing Everything’. In the modern world, the lack of movement equates to the lack of progress. So we go go go and do do do. We ‘don’t take no for an answer’ and ‘make things happen’.

In Taoism, however, there should be times set aside for ‘Doing Nothing’.  These include when our next steps aren’t obvious, or when we are met with constant resistance, or when we find ourselves rationalizing our actions rather than listening to our guts. This is when we should sit back and allow things to simmer. If we muscle our way through these moments of un-ready-ness, our actions reap very little. Or worse, lead to less than optimal results. Doing Nothing is to respect the course of nature and trust that while nothing is happening, everything is happening.

‘Doing Nothing’, however, does not equate to ‘eating chips on the couch waiting for the universe to hand you a job’. Rather, it is doing only what is effortless, what does not require force. It is making that one phone call, drawing that one illustration, writing that one sentence. And relaxing. Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism, reminds us, ‘Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished’.

I have a few ideas about the future, but nothing is crystal clear. So for now, I jiggle until things are ripe. And when they are, I’ll know and I’ll be ready to Do Everything.”

(Steps off the soapbox).

I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Drop me a line below.