Busy Doing Nothing...

"Besides the noble art of getting things done there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."
Lin Yutang (1895-1976)

SIMPLICITY AND CONTEMPLATION

I can recall my distant life of 'busy-ness' that nearly marched me off into illness. Commitments, responsibilities, obligations, expectations: I encircled them all in a frantic whirlwind of activity that seemed so right at the time, so essential to my existence - but I was wrong. Eventually, through feelings of fatigue and anxiety that arose within me, I started to re-assess my life and what I was doing with it. Soon, I stopped worshipping at the altar of 'doing' and renounced its curious hold on me.

This single act of rebellion turned me into a different and better person as I started to slow down and appreciate a calmer, gentler rhythm of life. People started noticing this too as I relaxed more in their company. Now, when I get engrossed in activity - especially when it starts to feel neurotically driven - I remind myself of my vow to be in the world in a different , more spacious way and try to return to this relaxed presence. But it isn't easy.

We live in a world of unprecedented economic, military and technological expansion that sees no sign of abating. A world of:

• Unnecessary mass consumerism
• Over-dependence on technology
• Ethically problematic scientific research (cloning, GM food supply, etc)
• Rapidly depleting natural resources
• Future devastating climactic changes
• Over population
• Widespread poverty
• War and death on an unprecedented scale
• Increasing alienation, even in the most prosperous regions of the world
• Record levels of obesity
• Unacceptable levels of mental health problems
• Record levels of suicide - especially amongst the young
• Escalating criminal activity - violent street crime [involving] guns and knives
• Drug and alcohol addiction

The news from our streets, neighbourhoods, communities and cities is not good by any measure. The hurt and pain, the anguish and despair, cry out for our attention but too often we feel powerless to effect any change for the better. We feel as if our arguments for a better world fall on stony ground. The idolatrous worship of 'success' in our media-dominated world is a difficult one to challenge because it is often wrapped up in the celebrity gloss of accomplishment and reward. But is 'success' - in the narrow sense - necessarily a good thing ? Can it be measured by the shallow 'fame' of hyped-up TV performers ? Or by the size of city bonuses earned in a bullish market ? Or by developing a smart, generational level of computer graphics to captivate us on our screens ? Or even through buying knighthoods conferred on services to industry ? And perhaps even by the number of medals pinned on military tunics for fighting and killing in other people's countries ?

Mick Lewin

This is the first part of Mick Lewin's reflections on being busy doing nothing. More to follow soon...