"The effect of the Joy Diet is to shine a light into our hiding places, allowing us to see and remember ourselves and our reasons for being." - Martha Beck
(Hello there! I am sorry I have been away for so long. I've been told my blog over the past few weeks was boring - giggle - I know it's boring to come and see the same old post, but all I can say is that I promise to make it up to you very very soon.)
I've been meaning to begin Jamie's new book group ever since last week. The trouble is that the book is The Joy Diet by Martha Beck and the first thing that you have to embrace is nothing. That's right, you have to do nothing for a few minutes every day. It sounds so easy to type it here, but it has been so hard.
I tried to get up early and do nothing in the morning. But it turns out nothing + early morning + jet lag equals sleep. I tried to do nothing when I got home from work - but there was always something! Then, without actually meaning to on Friday morning (a full week after I should have been doing it every day) I did it. I woke up on my day off and didn't immediately get up. I realized that nothing is something I actually do once in a awhile already, but I have always called it filing. When I have been really busy, sometimes I find myself lying in bed and just thinking. I can almost hear the files slipping into place in my brain as I make sense of what has been going on in my world.
So it turns out that I shouldn't have tried to do nothing, I should have just done it because I already know how to do it. And now I just need to keep on doing nothing at least once a day.
Giggle. Maybe Truth will be easier.
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12 comments:
Filing! I love that name.
I find it odd that anyone would tell anyone else that their blog was boring... quiet periods are as important as the busy ones. When things appear to be lying fallow is often when the best seeds are germinating!
meg! so good to see you back in these spaces. i've missed you :)
hey, and i do exactly the same! i love those moments of nothingness, where i catch myself effectively staring into space... who would have thought ~ i'm actually a fan of filing!
Oh, I love that, too: filing. And I fear that I am rather an expert at doing nothing. I could also call it daydreaming, or sometimes procrastinating. There are more periods where I do nothing rather than something from the long list in my head. I know for sure, I need to be doing more "doing!" (Like reading a certain manuscript, sigh. Talk about procrastination for no good reason other than that I am so good at it.)
Have I told you that I love the new look of your blog? And that photo of you? It is so lovely. And the look so fresh and inviting. Yes, please be back more, I've missed you on here, too!
Hugs,
Kxo
You have to do nothing with your journal, I mean weblog, if you have nothing going on inside of you at the time.
Even if that means going extended periods of time w/o posting an article. If you don't feel inspired to write, then it may not be too inspiring/interesting to us readers as well.
Write when you feel like, "Oh, I have to get these thoughts down and share them on the blogoshere!" Don't write simply because, "Geez, it's been a week since I did anything. I wonder what my readers must be thinking..."
That's my thought for the day. Maybe this will make you feel lighter about internet writitng.
Quality of posts over quantity. That's what we expect when we read you.
Hi Megg!
Yes...I've missed your posts too ... so lovely to have you back :)
I think your filing is moi staring into space as tho in a trance...!
Hope I'm filing as I do it :)
O ... and your blog is never boring, I admire your candor ... and love your journey.
xxx
Key words on nothing "stop trying"...for sure!! If we stop and realize we know how often we do "nothing" in a day -- the secret is to make this a regular part of our diet.
Nothing was "easy" for me too...truth? Well that one is just proving to be a little more difficult!!
I love the way your brain works. :) :)
xo,
j.
I just wanted to say that the 'boring' comment was just a tease because I hadn't posted anything in so long. It was completely out of love!
Your ebullience is refreshing!!
Amazing Job!! Keep up the good work.
Your work is so full of useful information.
Great Job Buddy!!
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