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The Power of Doing Nothing

By on June 29, 2010 in Life

This post is for those of you with infinite to do lists.

Those of you with whorlybrain. Those of you who take comfort in your control of everything in your life.

For this is a tale of the opposite energy.

This is a post of doing nothing.

Like you, I’m always doing. Creating. Planning. Making things happen.

Going ten thousand miles an hour every day.

And even with my new institutions of self care and calendared blocks for alone time and reflection and flow, I get trapped in the seduction of productivity.

Always moving, but never getting anywhere very much interesting. Stuck in what’s already happened, what’s already in play, what I already know how to do, what’s already come into my life.

Until twice in the last two weeks.

When I decided to drop the plan.

Stop the thinking. Screw the to do list, the calendar, the script of daily life.

And as soon as I decided to get off of the predetermined path that I’ve thought my way into, that’s when I saw what had been just out of my awareness, over the crest of the hills along side the trail, waiting for me to discover.

The NSFW business idea that’s scary and resonates with my truth and is perfectly aligned with my purpose.

The amazing people with whom I needed to connect, to challenge and grow my soul to the next realization of my existence.

Because when I was busy doing, thinking, worrying about everything with which I have been concerning myself, I forgot about the ultimate truth to whom we are all subject.

The profound magic of life happens only the world of the real.

Not in the artifice we create to survive our daily existence.

So I challenge you – stop. Just fucking stop.

Stop making. Stop thinking. Stop worrying about how it will get done and if this is going to work out and whether it’s a good idea and whether you can trust them and how it’s supposed to happen.

Surrender to the power that’s waiting in your peripheral vision.

Experience the exquisite freedom that only comes from releasing your illusion of control.

All you have to do is relinquish your will. Embrace the ambiguity.

Leap off the precipice and let the universe catch you.

And let me know what deliciousness happens for you.

Related posts:

  1. Tony Robbins Got Transformational All Over Me at Unleash the Power Within

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  • http://topsy.com/elizabethpottsweinstein.com/do-nothing?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention The Power of Doing Nothing | ElizabethPW — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Elizabeth Weinstein, Leesa Barnes, Elysia Brooker, Anna, Ruth Hartmann and others. Ruth Hartmann said: RT @ElizabethPW The Power of Doing Nothing http://bit.ly/c9G7lM [...]

  • http://allisonnazarian.com/ Allison Nazarian

    “By letting it go it all gets done” ~ Lao Tzu
    I daresay you said it as well if not better.
    #DeliciousnessFTW
    xoxoxo

  • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

    I just started reading a book “The Open Focus Brain”, and in it, the author asserts that we've spent so much of our life trying to focus too much, that we've lost a piece of our selves – specifically the piece that allows us to relax, enjoy and find peace in our day. Focus is important, but so is awareness – of what's going on around us – that whoel stopping to smell the flowers bit.

    Except it's not a bit. It's a BIG piece of our mental health.
    Great food for thought. Thanks again EPW!

  • http://allisonnazarian.com/ Allison Nazarian

    P.S. I enjoy that “whorlybrain” links to infj #thingsiget #thingsmaybeonlyiwouldget #becauseimweird #likeyou #thatisall

  • http://elizabethpottsweinstein.com ElizabethPW

    :) yes, i knew you would get it. kind of like an easter egg but just for you #loveyou

  • http://elizabethpottsweinstein.com ElizabethPW

    Yes, there is something so powerful in just being. In letting go. :)

  • lorilatimer

    LOL – I just talked to Sarah tonight about the whole “whorlybrain” thing I've had going on the past week or so!

    It's so hard for us to just do nothing, isn't it?

    I've watched your writing style change over the past few months… and it's awesome. So much more of you coming through all the time. Beautiful. Like you.

    xoxo

  • HannahCB

    Fellow INFJ and whorlybrain addict right here. There seems to be a lot about our personality type that's hard to accept but works best if we just do just that (i.e. not being a social butterfly, wanting to be around people but not at the same time).

    I even trick myself into doing stuff when I'm supposed to be doing nothing. Like I'll put a movie on, then part of me will go 'hey, you know this is a great time to do XYZ that you've been meaning to do for ages… And you can do it while watching the film so it's technically still relaxing…' Urgh.

    Great post, thanks :)

  • Alison Kramer

    i love this “Leap off the precipice and let the universe catch you”

    Great post, as always

  • meganmatthieson

    Why do I need someone to do it for me? For God's sake that is so effing irresponsible. RRRRRRRR

  • http://twitter.com/jimboknows jimboknows

    If I may add one thing — I'm also learning the power of keeping my mouth shut and listening. I have ended the love affair with the sound of my own voice. Many thanks….

  • http://onestepfromfreedom.com/2010/06/what-im-waiting-for/ What I’m Waiting For | one step from freedom

    [...] I have so much I want to do – including nothing (see Elizabeth Potts-Weinstein’s blog entry for some reasons why that’s goodness).  But it’s no longer the fact that I need an [...]

  • http://www.randomshelly.com Shelly

    I plan on doing just that this weekend. I am going on vacation… taking books I want to read (NOT technical books) and all my guilt is going to be drowned in good wine and the ocean.
    #thatisall
    :)