Nothing Better to Do
I originally wrote this article on October 14, 2012.
The phrase that came to me several times as I technologically-unplugged last week was ’There’s nothing better to do. So, I might as well _____.’
I might as well empty the trash. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well get the tedious tasks done now. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well run my errands. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well rest. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well read this book I’ve wanted to read. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well play the kids’ favorite games with them. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well call a friend. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well be aware of the stars on my walk. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well watch the wind blow the leaves from my window. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well light candles. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well plan a fun adventure. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well enjoy myself. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well use this time to be here for myself, to be my own ally and cheerleader. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as express myself full-out. There’s nothing better to do.
I might as well appreciate and be in love with this moment. There’s nothing better to do.
Do you feel the irony in this? We tend to think of ‘nothing better to do’ with dread. But really, it feels so free. With this mindset, there is no feeling of ‘I’m missing out on something’ or ‘Happiness and love are outside of me’ or ‘I need to seek out a distraction’ or ‘I need to fill this void with something or someone else.’
When we unplug from that which has felt like a leash or a cage (i.e. beliefs, thoughts, addictions, relationships), we find that there’s nothing better to do than to be where we are, as who we are, and to handle what is in front of us, to take care of business: the business of business or business of resting, and anything in between.
I realized last week how, many times, I avoided various tasks, as well as avoided being in the here-and-now, due to the hunt for something better to do. Was the hunt, itself, the addiction? Perhaps. Likely. Because it usually felt unfulfilling and sometimes numb; also, it kept me from fully being there for myself.
Nothing better to do is the created space where we are set free to enjoy the Now, to fully be ourselves just as we are right now. This is the space in which we know there is no where to get to and nothing to fix. We trust that everything we need is what we have, and what we will need later will be there just-in-time.
Talk about synchronicity. I was emailing with my brother, Luke the artist, on Friday night. He said to me, ‘I go about my work because there’s nothing better to do.’
What have you discovered when you’ve unplugged from that which held you back from this moment, from yourself, and from that which you truly love? Do share.
Warmly,