Are You Busy?
Are you a human being or a human doing?
Last weekend, I guided 3 lovely souls in Shinrin Yoku forest bathing. As part of the invitation, I said, “Give yourself permission to do nothing.”
Fifteen minutes later, after the women had come back to our circle, one said, “Thank you. You gave me permission to do nothing which I almost never do because I feel guilty when I’m not doing something.”
As a recovering chronic do-er, I can relate. Can you?
Our culture is obsessed with doing. Productivity. We’re told over and over that you have to work hard, and if you work hard, you will succeed. If you’re not succeeding that’s because you aren’t doing enough. The main messaging in our society is do more. It’s been that way for a long time and it continues today. Look at all the books, podcasts, and even apps telling us how to do more and get more. Get more done in a day, in a week, in a month, in a year, in a lifetime...
That messaging becomes ingrained in us and becomes our own internal messaging. We DO because we feel like it's what we are supposed to be DOing, because it's expected that we will be DOing it. The thought loop plays in our head, “What are you doing? Nothing? You better get working.” Or “You have to do xyz today and if you don’t, the world will fall apart.”
But will it really? Is that true? I’m inclined to say the world is falling apart because of all our doing.
During my forest therapy guide training, I went on something called a medicine walk. It required me to go and be in the forest from sunrise to sunset and do nothing. The night before my walk, I wrote in my journal… I’m nervous. That’s a lot of time to be doing nothing.
Scary, right? How will I occupy my time? No phone, no books, no distractions. Just me and the trees all day.
It turns out that extended time with the trees was exactly what I needed and they continue to give me this reminder about the importance of being versus doing every time I’m with them... Are you really doing nothing? No. You are connecting. You are BEING.
This is what I’ve come to know from more and more time being in nature… The trees are right. Being is connecting. Connecting to ourselves and to a power greater than all of us. Being is presence---living in the now. Being is where our power resides. Being is where mental, physical and emotional balance comes from. And ironically, being is what spurs inspired action.
There has to be a balance between being and doing or we get in trouble and I think we are seeing that trouble manifesting in numerous ways right now.
So, my friend, have the courage to step away from the doing. Even if it’s only for 15-20 minutes a day to start. If that feels too hard, tell yourself you are still doing something. You are DOING nothing. :)
BE well.
Forest Love,
Julie
The answers you seek never come when the mind is busy, they come when the mind is still. - Leon Brown