Challenged to Do Nothing

Ok, it's the end of the weekend and I have to share with you what I spent the weekend doing. Nothing. Well, not exactly nothing, but no work. Now, If you have been reading like a regular you know I spent July 4th weekend sitting and trying to reclaiming my own rhythm. This weekend I tried another experiment. What if I did just nothing all weekend? How would it feel? Could I do it? Would the world end if I didn't get anything done? Would my job suffer if I didn't do any work?

This experiment turned out to be much more difficult than I thought it would be. For those of you who know me, you know I have been self employed for what, almost 20 years? Yes, just about that and during that time I have spent at least a few hours almost every weekend doing something work related. I know, it's really sick, but I'm just trying to get over this illness now. It's hard for me not to think about the files that should be notated, the deposits to make out, the advertising to renew, the up coming challenges of business in today's economy. It's difficult for me to set it all aside and just have a weekend. But hey, I'm determined and you know, when I get something in my head I'm going for it.

Any-hoo, I didn't do diddley squat this weekend. I "frittered" away my time, but I had to really concentrate to accomplish that. I had to be ever vigilant because my natural instinct is to do. I'm just learning to be.

I sat in the sun and listened to Eric Clapton, increasing my tan lines. I went to a classic boat show with a friend and her two adorable boys. I sat reading a novel. I played with the computer, searching things like crop circles and stone rings in Miami and ancient maps that show the new world, made before the new world was discovered. I got on youtube and watched Chris Griscom and Marianne Williamson.

I played with the cats. I experimented with some line drawings for a kids book I'm working on. I rode my bike, a new distance record for me, really it's not that far, just a few miles but farther than I had been riding! I polished my toe nails and went to margaritaville. I sat and watched the cats sleep. I sat and watched the clouds roll by. I sat and watched the breeze flutter the leaves of my grape vines. I sat.

I didn't do a darn thing that was work related all weekend. Hurray! I did it! It was a challenge, my mind kept going to what "needed to be done" and I kept saying "not right now, I'm doing nothing". I had to keep reminding myself that I was suppose to be a slacker all weekend. That it was OK to be lazy, after all, it was the weekend. In our culture, the weekend is time off, right?

I hope you had a weekend full of a whole lotta nothing. The world will not stop spinning if I take time to just relax and make some time for me. Thank Heavens! Same for you.