All too often we feel guilty for relaxing and taking pleasure in doing nothing. If you have read Eat, Pray, Love you are familiar with the Italian phrase “Dolce far niente” which translates to “The sweetness of doing nothing.” This weekend I will be “puddling” around my house. It’s supposed to warm up here, but I really just want to make soup and read and catch up on some sleep and if the mood strikes I might take a walk, but I very much like the idea of not having an agenda or a plan. No doubt I’ll attempt to bust a challenge or two, but my time will not be measured or scripted. I don’t have to be anywhere by a specific time, I don’t have to work anyone else’s schedule into mine, I’m just going to “be” and see how tomorrow unfolds. It’s not about being antisocial, I may very well go out at some point tomorrow, but I’m going to move at my pace, for my pleasure and if I spend the day curled up in my favourite chair with a blanket and some chai then that is the way the day was meant to be. I am not going to dwell on the things I could’ve or would’ve or should’ve done. I’m just going to be.
For those of us with a lot of commitments and responsibilities this can be near impossible, but if you get the opportunity I encourage you to revel in doing nothing for a bit.
– the Goddess
The Goddess Weighs In 