Dolce far niente: how mindful are you about doing nothing?

[thegreenyogi]

" Dolce far niente" is an Italian saying and it basically refers to the idea of just letting life pass you by. Things like just enjoying a cup of espresso first thing in the morning and watching the sunrise, or sitting on a bench and just allowing the soft summer breeze to embrace you figuratively, or perhaps just watching a cat cross the street. We live in a world that is just on the move all the time and we often don't or forget to take a moment and press the pause button. Many view sitting and thinking of nothing as waiting precious time or sitting there is just uncomfortable because the guilt of life and it's pressure is too great. But don't we have a right to pause? Don't we need to reset in the name of the higher purpose or objective we're set on achieving? Share your thoughts if you wish.

[sage2021]

It's the simple things in life that make me feel happy and calm inside.

I always have pushed my pause button and stopped to appreciate looking at the beautiful trees displaying their beautiful new colors in the Fall that are absolutely amazingly beautiful to me.

Going to the beach after work by myself and sitting on the sand to watch the sunsets and the sky turn colors of pink, yellow and orange. And each one looks so different from the last one. Like someone painted a on a new canvas everyday something for me to just sit in awe and watch the sky being painted and looking different than the one from the day before.

Getting an ice cream at Baskin Robbins and driving to the lake near by, sitting on a bench at the lake and enjoying my favorite ice cream while watching the ducks splashing around the lake.

Those are just a few things that I have actually done on purpose because I am very mindful of the simple things in life that are so very special to me and important to do.

Dolce far ninente - count me in! 🙂

[sage2021]

Thank you for the MHO 🙂🧡

[OneViewpoint]

I do "nothing" all the time. From the viewpoint of an external observer. But internally, I'm thinking. About all sorts of things. The interactions between the people around me. Physics. Cosmology. Life in general. That cat crossing the street. With a bird in its mouth. The age of the floor in the place where I'm sitting. The woman trying to lock eyes with me. The guy making an ass of himself trying to chat her up. Business opportunities. The weather. My past. My future.

I'm a huge believer in information overload and therefore a huge fan unplugging from our connected society for short periods of time all the time. My phone is silenced 100% of the time. I have almost zero social media presence. And I curate my friend group ruthlessly. I think it's important to shut out the external noise once in a while so you can hear your own thoughts.

[KostasKouvalis]

That definitely doesn't apply to Romans. Me and my dad are like the second paragraph. Me a little less, but my dad A LOT! One day he literally said, "I hope it rains, so I don't feel guilty about sitting at home." Me too. I feel not doing something productive is wasting time. On trips too. I don't know how to relax. We usually have one "slow day", and I always feel guilty I'm not doing any sight-seeing. I visited some islands in Panama, where you're basically FORCED to do that. I was so bored, but it was kind of nice to just sit out in nature with my thoughts.

[Friendlybro79]

Doing nothing is something and sometimes it's what's needed. We say it's nothing but stopping to smell the roses, observing the people around you, enjoying the way the breeze feels against your cheek, it's a reminder that we are part of nature.

I think I am mindful of this for an American, where we live to work not work to live 24-7.

As I type, I'm listening to the birds, and it would be perfect if it weren't for the construction noise my neighbor is making lol. It's ok I like them.

[Tarifa]

Absolutely. And I think these moments are necessary in our daily hectic lives. Taking half an hour to read a book and stop looking at our smart (?) phones for a while is rewarding, as is sipping a coffee on a sunny terrace. It resets our inner batteries.

[DryGermanGuy]

I tell you what: You give me some nice Campania weather and I’ll show you how good I am in doing nothing. 😃😎

[Cidknee]

Thats the dog-eat-dog world, the rat race. Its always prodding.
I say life is but a whisper remembered long ago and fuck what others say. Do what you need then do what you want.

[MereAnarchy]

I'm jealous.