What Would Happen if I Did Nothing
01/29/06
Would the world end if I did nothing and if I didn't write this article, then
what?
It has been my habit for some time now to write an article for 'Roy Bits,' first
thing on Sunday morning before I go out for breakfast. I give myself about two
hours to think of a title and start writing it down. Often I will come up with a
title as I lie in bed for a few minutes before getting up. This morning it
didn't happen. I bounced out of bed headed for the computer and while it was
warming up, I went through my usual morning routine.
I procrastinate on the writing while a title is formulating in my head and go
directly to my email and article submissions that are sent to me each day. This
allows my any latent thoughts to come to the surface and formulate a title, and
it has never failed. The less I think about the title the easier it is for one
to come to me.
I have to admit this morning I was struggling, and spent longer than usual with
this process. The thoughts were not there and I had to remind myself more than
once to just let go, and they would come. I am in fact akin to the "control
freak," and I like to be in the driver's seat.
I was eventually reminded of a time when I decided that I didn't have to do
anything, I didn't have to do what others wanted me to do and I would live my
life my way. It was called my "three 'O's." At around the magic age of thirty
life takes on a new look for many of us and we grow up and use what we have
learned in the first thirty years to create a new life for the next thirty.
Actually scientists tell us that we stop using our minds at thirty and coast on
what we have learned in the first thirty.
From that time till now, once again I have been taking my life too seriously. I
have convinced myself of my own self importance and that what I do, really means
something and must be done. That of course is true, but it is my truth and has
meaning for me. It is how I am defining myself physically. These articles are
manifestations of my inner thoughts and are exposed for all to see.
But what if I wrote nothing, what would happen. How could I express myself in
the emptiness of this page? What if I never left my house and went for breakfast
this morning? If a tree falls in the forest--will anyone hear it and does it
matter?
Because I am creating all the circumstances of my life and it is only my life
that matters then if I do nothing, nothing will happen. My life will be defined
by the absence of what I do. Those that I bring into my life will define me as
the one that does nothing. And those that define me that way will bring
awareness into their lives as ones that do something. My life can never be about
nothing because it creates something, despite a conscious effort to do
nothing-no life is wasted!
While in this state of awareness I am observing life moving around me and my
nothingness gives that movement definition. It is the nothingness of space that
gives the physical realm its structure. Without space nothing could exist
because that would be all there is. So even doing nothing is actually doing
something. Being nothing is also being something so it is not possible to be one
without being the other. But what does that mean to me? The truth is it means
nothing. My life is about giving myself definition in relationship to all others
things that are and are not.
If I never do anything again, I am still doing something. And what I do has
purpose only to me. I am an island and others will only relate to it. Once the
island is removed, so are the others. Once the darkness of space is removed so
is the light.
If I never wrote this article, you would know that something is missing, but you
would not know what it was. I would bring this awareness into your life only if
your thoughts are in the past. Past experience will have taught you that there
is usually an article here each week, so even though I did nothing, I did
something. I have given you opportunity for you to define your present thoughts.
These opportunities are the best that any one of us can do. Each of us gives the
other an opportunity to define ourselves.
Without these relationships we are nothing so in the context of being physically
defined, we are an illusion. We are not male unless we know that we are, we are
not female, and we are not white, black, brown, yellow, or red unless we know
ourselves to be these things. We do not exist without this knowingness. We are
nothing trying to experience something and it is our nothingness that gives life
to everything.
I cannot do nothing, but I can give definition or meaning to the nothing that I
am doing. I can accept the illusion as an illusion or I can live in the illusion
of being something.
Life has no meaning except for the meaning that I give it. Life has no purpose
except for the purpose that I give it. And when we move away from the illusion
of being something we find ourselves back where it all started. It is this
paradox that generates the back and forth movement we call life. Life is the
movement not the illusion or the definition. Life is neither the space nor the
physical. It is that which seeks to define itself and never can. Life is a
process and not and end unto itself. It is this which I am doing now,
indefinable and meaningless-this is life. I merge with all other aspects of self
to facilitate this movement. If I did nothing-nothing would happen!
Roy is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. An international published author, a student of NLP, spiritual philosopher, New Age Light Worker, Teacher and Phenomenologist. Roy's books and articles are thought provoking, and designed to empower your imagination.
Review Roy's new book at: http://www.yourlifewasnevermeanttobeastruggle.com
