How To Be Fabulous At Doing Absolutely Nothing
Posted: Friday, November 04, 2011
by Ella Camp
The word “nothing” in this case is a slight misnomer, a word which implies a vacuum of non-productiveness; a non-productiveness which fails to produce monetary viable results from some physical activity- it gives the appearance of insubstantial non- existence.
To the oft repeated question- “What do you plan to do after your retirement?” I’ve heard the oft repeated answer, “Absolutely nothing.” Of course, beneath this sweepingly objective reply lies a mental world teaming with nebulous thoughts, hopes, desires and long-delayed dreams; a world deferred by time, circumstances and the procrastination of daily survival.
The informal tutelage in this naturally created human fourth dimension is provided by our own accumulated selves. Our soul’s lifetime is a steady elapsing stream of perpetually expanding space, in which occurs recurrent intervals of intermissions. These intervals are the pivot points at which we turn in synchronizations with our physical beings. The chronology of this movement seems to us timely, untimely, punctual, fast, slow, leisurely, early, and late or, at interims, standing still.
Of course “time” which is created by us, is doing nothing; it is we who are doing nothing or something.
And since the life energy within us does not allow a vacuum of nothingness to exist, we are always doing something- and can never do absolutely nothing at all.
To be fabulous at what we call “doing nothing,” is definitely a learned thing, but can, if one applies themselves studiously, be gotten down to an art.
First we must tidy-up, so to speak, by clearing the board of any petty contingencies of sacrificial guilt that we may still be habitually harboring around the edges of our consciousness- feelings of not having given enough of ourselves, which can, and do, impinge upon our fulfillment of this time in our lives- this time, is our time, and we needs must gracefully and gratefully accept it.
As Shakespeare wrote with such factual verity; and Einstein with such scientific clarity, in sequence- “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day.”
“The distinction between past, present and future is only an illusion, however persistent.”
The ever-running movie of this illusion always before our eyes is our physical bodies and the material objects we’ve created. The geniuses behind these celluloid-like illusions are the collective and individual minds which produce them. Rather than “retirement” I prefer the word “resuscitation” to describe these latter years of life; retirement indicating a seclusion and resignation that, to me, is an inappropriate description, one that tends to lend a discouraging asperity. In such a forum, this gleaning of life’s acquisition is cast as pearls to swine.
The most challenging aspect of this time interval, for me, has been learning to adjust to unstructured time. Left to my own devices, without the external urgency of the work-a-day world, I floated willy-nilly within this blissful envelope of my own-owned time and space, until I began to feel guilty about not being productive, and eventually wore myself down to a frazzled nub trying to figure out what it was I should be doing.
I began to realize that there is infinite wisdom working in the hidden dimensions of our lives, and that depending on, and trusting ourselves to make our own choices in life comes from an awareness of this wisdom. We have at last arrived at the harvest season engendered by all those years of life’s experiences- ours as well as the observations and histories of others who have passed this way.
We may ask ourselves personal questions about our present and future choices. - “Does this choice feel right for me?” Will I be interested in where it will ultimately lead?” Do I like and enjoy being around the people I’ll be involved with?” Does it make sense at this stage of my life?” Will I have the opportunity to be more creative and inspired by this choice?”
We are now allowing ourselves to become more aware of, and involved with our own personal desires.
Learning to adapt to the untapped opportunities hidden away within the niches of our suddenly freed minds- gives more recognition and credence to our lives, as we struggle to make them as real as possible.
One real enemy of this halcyon time is the bedevilment of inertia, in which we neither grow nor evolve.
The attitude that “all is done,” can lead to one that says “I am done.” Our own hidden aspirations know where we want to go and what we need to fulfill our own lives. We may now consider taking risks of any kind, reckless and foolish- leading us to over-calculate every choice offered to us- resulting in perpetual and fearful inertia, which can in itself be a kind of premature death.
Our lives are as nature is- self-correcting. What appears at first to be a mistake is usually bringing something into focus that needs to be corrected. We must try to see the possibilities for self-happiness in everything that happens to us. We spent years using the refrain “I just don’t have the time.” Suddenly we begin to adjust our societal behavior and tell the truth- we really didn’t ever want to do it- and still don’t. We are now only doing what we really want to do. Although we are taught, and strive to be our brother’s keepers- our first human obligation is to ourselves- to be fabulous at being our own keepers- at doing anything and everything, rather than nothing.
I disagree with Hector Berlioz’s quote- “Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.”
No knowledge is ever lost- for it is imprinted on the soul, which is timeless and eternal.
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)Sweet! As is the author, and don't you ever let that darn Bruce Horst to tell you otherwise. hehe Good to see you again.Another piece of knowledge that we only grasp with the passage of time Dave...how to be a real true and loyal friend- something you seem to have accomplished well my dear friend. Oh- and I never let anyone tell me otherwise hehe
Wow dearest Ella, you've captured every nuance of every question that comes up at this time of our lives, and your answers are so all-embracing of life in its broadest sense. I love your final sentence! Love it all, actually :)I don't know what Wryte Stuff or I would do without you Jenn...and I don't ever want to find out! thanks so much Always- Ella
Ennui and desolation loom for many retirees who always wrongly defined their life, and others by what people did for a living.
These same people, at a party, fascinated and seeking one's essence, ask ,"What do you DO for a living?"
We are NOT what we DO for a living, we suddenly discover, when that career dissipates into retirement.
And we are certainly more than the sum of all our experiences.
I suggest, to start, that one do the things that one always dreamed of, like staying up late, all night, watching television and eating candy.
Affection,
Paul
I thank you so much for reading-and deeply appreciate your agreeable response- As Always- Ella
There is indeed an "infinite wisdom" in the "hidden dimensions of ourselves". The ennui of age and experience is life giving us time to really explore our width and breadth. But, if we don't do that, then sure enough the termination period feels funnily boringly emptyingly not there. John Adams complained relentlessly of the ennui of the end of life. I think maybe he loved bombast because it gave him more of a feeling of life. Love your stuff. You're the best.You're an impossible dream Chris-a dream that every audience could be peopled with people like you, people who you know are going to absorb and understand everything you write. Thanks so much-Always-Ella
You make reality so fictional, every time i read your articles i learn so many things.Since fiction must be born of reality, it's not so difficult to make it seem akin,,,,,, Thank you HyunSoung- You are a delight. I think you're doing wonderfully well in your position as leader- highly conscientious..Thanks- Always- EllaYou have a point there Ella! :), thank you for the kind words.
I hope you enjoy many healthy, happy years of 'resuscitation', and I hope you will always want to find the time to write. We count on it!Thanks Bri- you give me the courage to resuscitate- you're the personification of it! Don't ever dim your bulb....Always- Ella
Very nice. Just keep the brain workingThanks Jack- If the brain's not happy- nothing's happy...LOL
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