Aug 2, 2020

The easiest most-difficult thing in the world

By Beautiful Voyager • Issue #52 • View online

“To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual.” — Oscar Wilde, The Critic as Artist: With Some Remarks on the Importance of Doing Nothing

If you can let go, doing nothing is marvelous. I felt this freedom—the freedom of nada—yesterday while laying on my birthday present hammock in the backyard. Michael was smooshed in next to me watching a basketball game on the computer. I was looking up at the sky, listening to the layered sounds around me. I had nowhere to go and nothing to do. It was heaven.

It should be easy to tap into that feeling these days, right? The pandemic has shrunk the world. With fewer places to go and fewer things to do, finding hammock peace should be as simple as settling in…

Falling happens. It definitely happens.

Find equilibrium by quieting your inner critic. Banish the “should” voice in your head. You’ll never find freedom while harassing yourself.

Donate at least an hour today to doing nothing. Nothingness is different for every person. For me, it means focusing on sounds rather than visuals, e.g. listening to music with closed eyes. For you, it may mean daydreaming while walking in your neighborhood.

This may sound like pat, basic advice (that’s my inner critic by the way—she thinks many things I have to say are basic and obvious), but letting yourself off the hook is anything but easy. If I could convince you of one thing with this email it is this: Doing nothing is worth the effort.

Love,

Lounge Lizard Meredith & pal June Bug

Podcasts

Unleash Your Inner Creative with Lauren LoGrasso: Are you an Overthinker? Learn Healthy Mental Practices

‎Meredith Arthur is a mental health pioneer, author, Emmy-Nominated creative producer, and a content leader at Pinterest. She’s best known for being a founding member of the food site: Chowhound, creating the mental health wellness site/community, Beautiful Voyager, writing for Medium and for her deb…

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Beautiful Voyager Podcast: Leslie Dotson Van Every

Leslie Dotson Van Every and I first worked together at CBS, and since then, she’s led communications and content for companies like Overstock, Scribd, and Future Family. Leslie and two partners built a powerful and well-respected community action group called Solidarity Sundays with over 17K active participants. We discuss Leslie’s identity as a White-presenting-Black women, and how it has changed in recent time. She shares helpful ideas for how to feel better in challenging times.

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