General Information -- Being
We are, by nature, doers. We are what we do. Many carry names that described what one of our ancestors did for a living. Fisher, Smith, Taylor are all surnames that grew out of someone’s doing. When asked to describe ourselves, most will start by giving our “doing” label like mother, mechanic, nurse, or student.
We know ourselves by our doing. We use our mind to plan and organize our doing. We then engage our body to do the doing. We will spend the bulk of our day doing something. We will use the largest portion of our energy doing this or that. We work, play games, read, travel, or write. The most common way that we get to know ourselves is by our doing!
However, if we only see ourselves as “doing of life” we can easily ignore the most unique and precious part of ourselves, our soul. Our souls do not “do”, they “be.” To ignore our being leads to an exhaustion that goes beyond words. We do, and do, and do until we feel empty and worn out. We drag ourselves to bed and collapse. Our spiritual energy has been used up. We feel drained. This is especially true when our doing feels pointless.
Doing requires energy and motivation. As we become tired and the motivation ebbs, the doing becomes harder. What we need is a break, a time to simply “be”. To rest and renew. To restore and recover our motivation. To ignore this time of being is to drain the joy from our living and place ourselves on the edge of burnout.
Take care of your soul. Give it time to simply be. Allow yourself the emotional space to step back from the doing and spend time with you without the need to do anything. Give yourself permission to just be who you are and let your soul come out to play!
Bob
We know ourselves by our doing. We use our mind to plan and organize our doing. We then engage our body to do the doing. We will spend the bulk of our day doing something. We will use the largest portion of our energy doing this or that. We work, play games, read, travel, or write. The most common way that we get to know ourselves is by our doing!
However, if we only see ourselves as “doing of life” we can easily ignore the most unique and precious part of ourselves, our soul. Our souls do not “do”, they “be.” To ignore our being leads to an exhaustion that goes beyond words. We do, and do, and do until we feel empty and worn out. We drag ourselves to bed and collapse. Our spiritual energy has been used up. We feel drained. This is especially true when our doing feels pointless.
Doing requires energy and motivation. As we become tired and the motivation ebbs, the doing becomes harder. What we need is a break, a time to simply “be”. To rest and renew. To restore and recover our motivation. To ignore this time of being is to drain the joy from our living and place ourselves on the edge of burnout.
Take care of your soul. Give it time to simply be. Allow yourself the emotional space to step back from the doing and spend time with you without the need to do anything. Give yourself permission to just be who you are and let your soul come out to play!
Bob
Weekly Tip - The Mini-Vacation
Today’s tip is the mini-vacation, a short period of time when you enjoy just being who you are without the need to do or achieve anything. It is a time when you become mindful of who you are apart from all your activity. It is an opportunity to get in touch with you.
There are several ways to take this vacation. It may involve:
1) Setting aside 10 – 15 minutes in your day. This should be a time when you are least likely to be disturbed. (I have known folks who hid in the closet after supper.)
2) Find a comfortable sitting position with your head fully supported on your spinal column and your arms uncrossed. You may sit in a chair or on the floor.
3) Allow yourself to let go of all the things you have to do at the moment. If you are really anxious about them, write them down on a slip of paper and put it in your pocket and then forget about them, for now. If a thought comes up, acknowledge it and set it aside.
4) Close your eyes and become accustomed to the inside of your eyelids. Allow yourself to get lost in that world.
5) Focus your attention on your breathing. Follow the rhythm. Feel the sensations that each breath makes in your mouth or nose. Listen to its sound. Imagine each exhale carrying a little bit of tension or concern with it as you release it into the air.
6) Finally, focus your attention on the quiet that is rising within. When an external sound intrudes, acknowledge it and let it go. Do not do anything. Focus on the silence with in.
7) When you are ready, open your eyes slowly and allow the world back into your life. Take a deep breath and exhale very slowly. Savor the calm.
Again, there are multiple ways to take this mini-vacation. Find what works best for you. There are Apps for your phone that can assist you by providing music, nature sounds, and a timer. However, the “how you do this” is not nearly as important as making the space for it in your life. Make it fun and something you look forward to. Enjoy the time you take to just be with yourself. Enjoy the journey!
There are several ways to take this vacation. It may involve:
1) Setting aside 10 – 15 minutes in your day. This should be a time when you are least likely to be disturbed. (I have known folks who hid in the closet after supper.)
2) Find a comfortable sitting position with your head fully supported on your spinal column and your arms uncrossed. You may sit in a chair or on the floor.
3) Allow yourself to let go of all the things you have to do at the moment. If you are really anxious about them, write them down on a slip of paper and put it in your pocket and then forget about them, for now. If a thought comes up, acknowledge it and set it aside.
4) Close your eyes and become accustomed to the inside of your eyelids. Allow yourself to get lost in that world.
5) Focus your attention on your breathing. Follow the rhythm. Feel the sensations that each breath makes in your mouth or nose. Listen to its sound. Imagine each exhale carrying a little bit of tension or concern with it as you release it into the air.
6) Finally, focus your attention on the quiet that is rising within. When an external sound intrudes, acknowledge it and let it go. Do not do anything. Focus on the silence with in.
7) When you are ready, open your eyes slowly and allow the world back into your life. Take a deep breath and exhale very slowly. Savor the calm.
Again, there are multiple ways to take this mini-vacation. Find what works best for you. There are Apps for your phone that can assist you by providing music, nature sounds, and a timer. However, the “how you do this” is not nearly as important as making the space for it in your life. Make it fun and something you look forward to. Enjoy the time you take to just be with yourself. Enjoy the journey!
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