Recently, I finally did that shopping I’ve needed to do. I replaced that broken clock, the broken chair, and that sheet set with the spent elastic. And there they sat on the bench by the front door for several days. I had the time to purchase them, but not the time to open up the packages and put together the chair, wash the sheets and make the bed, add batteries to the clock and figure out how to set the time.
This feels like a metaphor for my busy mind. I have so many experiences in a given day, that they keep piling up like packages by the door and I don’t give myself time to integrate those experiences into my life. So the time I want to spend relaxing with family at the end of the day ends up being the time I do the mental, emotional and spiritual equivalent of unwrapping my purchases and putting them away. That difficult meeting at work needs to be unpacked and put away. That sweet conversation I had with my son needs to be enjoyed and put away. Rush hour traffic definitely needs to be unpacked and composted. The birds singing outside my window needs to be savored and stored. As a meditation teacher I studied with years ago would say at the start of each class “let your mind release its contents.” We can’t go right from a busy day to sitting quietly and relaxing; the mind, heart and spirit all need time to catch up.
Recently I was waiting for a family member to finish their thing so I could drive them home. At first I was irritated to have to sit wait, to have to “do nothing” on such a busy day, and then I remembered how far behind I was on “doing nothing.” Suddenly, this waiting time seemed like a bonus.
Here are some things I like to do when I have nothing to do:
- let my thoughts drift, without following any of them – watching my mind “release its contents”
- notice how my body and heart feel with a non-judgmental awareness
- pay attention to my breathing
- pray
- gaze with curiosity at the nearest tree and just enjoy
Whatever path you choose, let go of the outcome, and just see what comes up. What happens when we do this? Sometimes we feel a bit more peaceful. Sometimes a bit of sadness that needed to be felt will find us. Sometimes when our whole to-do list pours out we realize that really there was only one important thing on that list. Sometimes we are able to empty enough to listen to our spirit, or to the divine. See, now I’m not wasting time at all. I’m not being lazy, I’m taking care of my spirit. The next time you find yourself with a little bit of time between one thing and another, may I suggest that instead of checking your phone or your to do list, consider accepting this scrap of time as a gift- savor and enjoy it as you would a great piece of chocolate.
