As a 10 or 11 year old many years back I had seen a coaster which had a weird looking graphic man holding up a pencil or something saying – Who says nothing is impossible, I have been doing nothing for years! At that age when life was all about doing well in studies, scoring marks, winning awards and accolades, winning approval of parents and teachers, this funny little man on the coaster was like my 1st tryst with wit and humor. (I hadn’t encountered Mad comics as yet!)
It is one of my initial memories of how a different perspective could be found in the most unexpected places. True, ‘nothing’ seemed like a silly thing to be doing. The important discovery then was the freshness of the approach. How some accepted statement could be put on its head and a completely different take derived from it! It is only much later that I developed appreciation for the concept of nothing, respect for the state of doing nothing and acceptance of the power of nothing.
Many a times the best advice I can offer to many who come with minds that are ready to explode and hearts that are weighed down by helplessness and frustration is this – Nothing. Just do nothing and be. That nothing involves not arguing about one’s point of view, not insisting on having something one’s way, not turning the problem over and over in one’s mind looking for solutions, not watching TV or a movie to distract oneself, not going out with friends getting drunk, not attending meditation classes, not praying, not chanting, not hitting the gym, not cooking, not eating, not sleeping, not fighting, not shouting, not crying, not writing, not reading, not checking facebook, not balancing chequebook or whatever else you can think of doing, just not doing that. Don’t say Nothing is impossible.
For some time…do nothing, be nothing.
In that nothingness you may discover that anything is possible! And you too could do nothing for years….
