Do you ever have those times in life when what you most desire to do is absolutely nothing? I do. In our whirlwind lives and culture it’s a challenge to stop or even to pause. It seems to be against the unspoken rules or laws of our modern day lives. But as I teach my counseling and coaching clients, we need to nourish and nurture ourselves if we’re going to keep on keeping on.
Would you think of driving your car until it completely ran out of gas? I doubt it. If you’ve ever been in your car and have actually run out of gas you know it’s not a wise thing to do. So, just as you wouldn’t plan to go on a trip without first filling up the gas tank, why would you plan on living a daily life without doing the same for your personal gas tank? And by that I mean your body, your emotions, your mind, and yes, even and especially, your soul. If we want to accomplish the many goals and dreams we have, if we want to get our basic tasks done, if we want to be there for clients, family, and friends, we better take care of ourselves first. Running out of gas is not only scary, it wreaks havoc on our health and ill-effects everyone around us – on the road or off.
Would you think of driving your car until it completely ran out of gas? I doubt it. If you’ve ever been in your car and have actually run out of gas you know it’s not a wise thing to do. So, just as you wouldn’t plan to go on a trip without first filling up the gas tank, why would you plan on living a daily life without doing the same for your personal gas tank? And by that I mean your body, your emotions, your mind, and yes, even and especially, your soul. If we want to accomplish the many goals and dreams we have, if we want to get our basic tasks done, if we want to be there for clients, family, and friends, we better take care of ourselves first. Running out of gas is not only scary, it wreaks havoc on our health and ill-effects everyone around us – on the road or off.
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So what does “doing nothing” look like to you? My idea of doing nothing is resting, meditating, walking in nature where I can soak up the sun’s warmth or feel the rain on my face, or fill up my heart with the ebb and flow of the ocean. It’s reading great books that carry me off to other worlds and move me or nourish my mind with new perspectives and insights. It’s being with people I love and swapping stories, laughing, or sitting quietly, shoulders touching.
What nourishes you? What fills up your “gas tank?” Whatever it is, you owe it to yourself and those you love to do it. Whether you’re a mother, a therapist, an artist, a writer, a student, a human being, you need to take time for you so you can be there for those you care about and those you serve.
As a writer and a therapist, I need to do nothing to allow my creative juices to replenish, percolate, and reproduce. A long time ago I had a dream that my printer was so overtaxed it bellowed smoke. I interpreted it to mean I was working too hard and too much. The printer – the writer and creative spirit in me – was overdoing it and I was burning out. I offer that as a cautionary tale. So in closing today, I offer you a challenge: take time to do nothing.
What is your idea of “doing nothing?” What nourishes your creative spirit? Please share your comments below.
What nourishes you? What fills up your “gas tank?” Whatever it is, you owe it to yourself and those you love to do it. Whether you’re a mother, a therapist, an artist, a writer, a student, a human being, you need to take time for you so you can be there for those you care about and those you serve.
As a writer and a therapist, I need to do nothing to allow my creative juices to replenish, percolate, and reproduce. A long time ago I had a dream that my printer was so overtaxed it bellowed smoke. I interpreted it to mean I was working too hard and too much. The printer – the writer and creative spirit in me – was overdoing it and I was burning out. I offer that as a cautionary tale. So in closing today, I offer you a challenge: take time to do nothing.
What is your idea of “doing nothing?” What nourishes your creative spirit? Please share your comments below.
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