Funny enough, I wrote this blog on the plane. I thought I would get a head start on this idea of “Learning to do nothing” only to later realize that what I had initially wrote here was to “Learn to be happy” – now this things have two very different means to me, but they are also deeply intertwined. So I will write about both.
I have just embarked on a 4 month trip with my husband. We took time away from our usual lives to have a travel adventure. We will be writing about our adventures on our travel blog and here I will be writing more about what I am discovering about myself along the way.
Ever notice that there is something magical about the opportunity to start something new. Whether it be a new year, a new job or a new adventure. I remember how excited I would get at the beginning of a new project in university. Those instructions were all I needed to start the creative process and to tell myself that I would do all the things I said I would and that didn’t end up having time for.
Last year when I did my life plan, the goal for right now was to “Learn to do nothing…” So, what does that mean? It doesn’t mean to absorb nothing or to try to squander my time, quite the opposite. Instead, I am going to try to be open and be more mindful of learning that I didn’t plan for. I am used to setting goals that are unachievable, I want to focus on the learning that happens without goals.
One of my mentors, an experienced museum consultant, once visited a national museum on a tour in Japan and was only given 20 minutes to look around. She took on the short time limit to challenge herself to look at the museum in a different way and to try to really absorb as much as possible as she went through the museum quickly. Normally she wouldn’t consider this to be nearly enough time to go through the museum and leave herself time to go to the museum store too, but after this she realized that the challenge allowed her to absorb different information than she normally would. Tothis day she remembers more about that visit than some longer visits simply due to the fact that she had to focus her attention differently.
And then we come to my plan to “Learn to be happy”. Now, you might wonder why I would need this kind of plan when I am on a 4 month trip? It sounds utterly selfish. This is to remind myself just how blessed I am to be on this trip. Sometimes I forget, when we get lost, when we get in a fight, when something unexpected knocks me off my feet momentarily.
So, this is where the plans intersect. Being prepared for surprises, remembering that the mistakes are as much a part of the experience as the laughter and that I am to be mindful of my actions. Like they say, don’t sweat the small things.
Inspire Yourself!
Jenn