A Durango house that screamed for attention Awoke early (5:30AM) with a sensation of peace. The previous evening having been…well, so utterly fulfilling alongside base simplicity. I didn’t “do” anything. I recall a recent conversation with my partner and her long-time friend. Her friend is retired (in the classic sense related to working at a job every day). For many years she has generously given her energies to philanthropic projects large and small; serving on boards, planning and managing fund raising events, collaborating in countless meetings or conference calls and every detail in between. She is considering downsizing her philanthropy activities and contemplates (writer’s observation) what I consider to be a common worry: what will one do with oneself if one is not doing something that obligates oneself? She came to our place after a great day of skiing the Vail back bowls and jokingly announced that she is going to have a card printed saying:
Carin Aichele (I used my name to protect her privacy)
Nobody Doing Nothing
Carin Aichele (I used my name to protect her privacy)
Nobody Doing Nothing
We all shared a hearty laugh, pontificating about the responses one might get after handing the card to the “typical” Vail local on a chairlift after 4 nirvana-inducing powder runs. Initial and superficial kidding aside, I said: “I think it should say: Somebody Doing Nothing”. I presented my self-serving theory that our understanding of ourselves as “nobody” just when we reach the prized pinnacle moment that we are allegedly striving for from average age 7-67 causes a dire conflict within us as individuals and certainly as a body of humans. Our collective belief that only when we are doing something productive* are we somebody is, in my humble opinion, killing us. *(commonly assumed definition of productive is that the activity brings us more of something…most often money/success, friends, strokes to our ego, anything material, a bigger house, more stars on our vacations, more “stuff” that we present as who we are)
If not literally taking us off the planet, it is certainly killing our connection to everything simple, organic, raw, natural and wild. It’s deepening the chasm between our soul’s longing to be and what we choose to do. Our pursuit of more doing has caused early-onset (age 7) dementia of our soul’s desires. As children if our soul’s desire was to be artistic, it was expressed with crayons and sidewalk chalk. Then one day, that’s not age appropriate anymore and we trade our box of crayons for a high-priced ticket to a gallery opening. We are fed fine French champagne and silky Swiss cheese while we observe art from an objective distance. I say to hell with that! Let’s open the studio of our soul and create! Let’s dance with abandon. Grab a brush and a canvas and paint! Pick up a camera and shoot. Play silly games with our children. Take naps. Be still…and know thyself. Let’s redefine our relationship with doing and thus our relationship with our self and satisfaction of or soul.
I propose that I am most somebody when I am doing the least. I am most present to the immediate moment, sometimes brought to my proverbial knees by a landscape that stunningly unfolds as I round a mountain corner; or by a field of wildflowers being prolifically what they are: unassuming and wild; or by Dolce as she relentlessly teaches me the joy in being curious by expressing excitement over every new smell, each slight sound, the feel of snow under her paws, a stick that she carries, or a rock that she chases. She does these same activities with delight…over and over and over. I’m curious; is it the activity creating the delight? Or the delight she brings to the activity that causes the unabashed joy? If the former, then we are governed by forces outside of ourselves and not our choice, not in our control. If the latter, then we are governed by and in control of our choices…my definition of freedom. Try this experiment: bring delight to something you do today. Go into it with intention to experience pleasure. If it’s a chore, do it impeccably and joyously. Consciously choose to feel delight while you do that thing you “have” to do. Then re-frame it and remind yourself that you chose to do it and you chose to do it with joy. You are the director of your experience; conduct your life soulfully!
If not literally taking us off the planet, it is certainly killing our connection to everything simple, organic, raw, natural and wild. It’s deepening the chasm between our soul’s longing to be and what we choose to do. Our pursuit of more doing has caused early-onset (age 7) dementia of our soul’s desires. As children if our soul’s desire was to be artistic, it was expressed with crayons and sidewalk chalk. Then one day, that’s not age appropriate anymore and we trade our box of crayons for a high-priced ticket to a gallery opening. We are fed fine French champagne and silky Swiss cheese while we observe art from an objective distance. I say to hell with that! Let’s open the studio of our soul and create! Let’s dance with abandon. Grab a brush and a canvas and paint! Pick up a camera and shoot. Play silly games with our children. Take naps. Be still…and know thyself. Let’s redefine our relationship with doing and thus our relationship with our self and satisfaction of or soul.
I propose that I am most somebody when I am doing the least. I am most present to the immediate moment, sometimes brought to my proverbial knees by a landscape that stunningly unfolds as I round a mountain corner; or by a field of wildflowers being prolifically what they are: unassuming and wild; or by Dolce as she relentlessly teaches me the joy in being curious by expressing excitement over every new smell, each slight sound, the feel of snow under her paws, a stick that she carries, or a rock that she chases. She does these same activities with delight…over and over and over. I’m curious; is it the activity creating the delight? Or the delight she brings to the activity that causes the unabashed joy? If the former, then we are governed by forces outside of ourselves and not our choice, not in our control. If the latter, then we are governed by and in control of our choices…my definition of freedom. Try this experiment: bring delight to something you do today. Go into it with intention to experience pleasure. If it’s a chore, do it impeccably and joyously. Consciously choose to feel delight while you do that thing you “have” to do. Then re-frame it and remind yourself that you chose to do it and you chose to do it with joy. You are the director of your experience; conduct your life soulfully!
Day #4: What’s Best? ~ writing all morning. A strenuous MTB ride on unfamiliar trails with spectacular views. Happening upon the just opened whitewater park on the Animas river near downtown Durango (and knowing what I will do for What’s Best? tomorrow…surf that wave!). A very hot 109° soak at the hot springs. Being inspired by a conversation with Elena, a fellow traveler from Switzerland.
What’s Best? Appreciating what is because today was not anything I wouldn’t do on a normal day at home…pause, be grateful for today!
What’s Best? Appreciating what is because today was not anything I wouldn’t do on a normal day at home…pause, be grateful for today!
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