Sometimes, Doing Nothing is Doing Everything

Most of us seem to be running a race; a race towards “success”, or the illusion of it anyway. The accumulation of material possessions is high on the list of priorities for many.  People are expected to work longer & harder to achieve more than our neighbour has and, in a shorter period of time than they have. This race has mentally left most of us running non-stop, and in turn, feeling overwhelmed.

Are we Running a Race or are we Living a Life?

There are two major differences between real life and a race. One: Races come and go with numerous finish lines and numerous opportunities to cross that finish line. Whereas real life only happens once, with only one finish line.  Two: Races have a path that is predetermined and predictable, whereas real life doesn’t move in a straight line, nor is the direction predictable.  Real life, requires pit stops just like race cars do. The difference being, in Formula 1, pit stops put you behind in time, where as in life, pit stops can place you ahead of the game.

Because life’s path is unpredictable, all of us need to stop running once in a while, stand tall, and look around to see where we’re going, so that we can course correct if needed. Not doing so could lead to waking up one day and realizing we are nowhere we intended to be.  We need to evaluate how much gas we have left in the tank so that we know whether to refill it or whether to change our destination, avoiding a mental breakdown. Most of all, we need to stop once in a while so that we may remind ourselves why we are running this race in the first place.  This is best achieved by “doing nothing”.

What does that even mean?

So how do we do nothing, what is involved and what happens?  Actually doing “nothing” is not as easy as it sounds. Try it. Try sitting down and actually do nothing for 5 minutes. No TV, no reading, no internet, no phone calls ... nothing.  For ages, people have called this meditation and one of the most popular tricks is to try to focus simply on your breathe.  We however, are not here to discuss meditation.  What we mean by “doing nothing” in this context, is to simply stop running that race.  What we mean is, to get away from the things that cause us stress, relax and enjoy life, whatever that means to you. Sit and watch a movie, go for a walk, read a book, watch the sunset, etc. with only three rules to abide by:

1. Do them alone. Do not involve any body else. This exercise awakens your inner voice and we do not want anyone else to influence or distort that inner  voice.
2. Do anything that is not linked to your career, money, goals, or predicaments you are facing at the moment. As an example, driving your car around counts, as long as it’s not to or from work. Watching a movie works, as long as you are not stressing about how you will pay for your new TV.  The point is, this activity should not remind you of anything that causes stress.
3. Do it for a minimum of 30 minutes, even if it’s at the end of your day.

What actually happens?

In life, we are constantly faced with road blocks or tricky situations we are supposed to overcome.  We are looking for answers to questions. Whether it is wondering how to manage a conflict at work, or getting everything done on time, or losing those pounds you’ve been trying to lose for ages, these questions add up and start weighing on our subconscious. And the longer they are left unanswered, the heavier that weight feels.  The truth is, the harder we consciously focus on answering them, the longer it takes for the right answer to appear.  We can always force answers to our questions, but we want to make sure that these answers are aligned with what is best for us.   By “doing nothing” what we are doing is relieving the conscious part of our awareness from this pressure and letting the subconscious part of our awareness do the work.

Pick a card, any card

You see, we cannot tell our subconscious mind what to think.  It’s subconscious and so out of our control and because of this, our subconscious mind is most aligned with what and who we are.  It’s like it almost acts on behalf of our soul.   So, while you are watching a movie, your subconscious mind is working away and thinking of a solution.  Imagine all the little things going on in your life as playing cards. Your job is one card, your bill payments are another, the fight you just had with your spouse is yet another, and so on.  While you’re consciously focused on stressing about an issue, you are only able to focus on that one card at a time, not knowing what the other cards in your hand are.  Remember that we are one being, and so every card, however different, is linked to all the other cards.  What ultimately happens when you “do nothing” is, you allow all the cards to fall to the ground so your subconscious mind can see all of them.  Now, you can see the whole picture and so now you can make a decision that is best for your life on the whole and long term.

The beauty is, your subconscious mind does this on its own. The tragedy is, it is constantly trying to do so, but we don’t allow it to, because we force ourselves to focus on that one card that is nagging us at any given moment of the day.

The bottom line

Doing nothing is what helps us answer questions in life and helps us appreciate why it is we work so hard ... so make it a regular practice. Do nothing at least once a day.  Consider it your form of prayer or meditation. Want to know how to address an issue you have with your partner on your next date? Stop thinking about it and it will come to you maybe while you’re walking your dog.  Want to know how you rid yourself of the anger you feel towards your boss? Stop thinking about it and watch a movie that makes you laugh. Perhaps just the fact that your spirits are lifted will make you not focus on the anger and help you realize how lucky you are to even have a job.  Want to stop wondering why your’e working so hard? Stop thinking about it and read a book.  Your subconscious will tell you that you work so hard so that you can afford paying rent, and the chair that you sit on while you enjoy reading this book.  These are just examples and although may not pertain to you, the practice of doing nothing will work for you, in a way that is meant just for you.

The point is, doing nothing results in us enjoying the gifts of life, and us making the right decisions, which is really doing everything we ever want to do.  Doing Nothing is Doing Everything!

Can we learn from machines?

Composed while travelling - Monday, Sep.01.2013. Calcutta, West Bengal, India

I have always been fascinated by how mankind has created so much by simply emulating nature.  Whether it is the aerodynamic structure and shape of an air plane wing (a result of closely studying birds), or even the design of the present day computer, where there is a heart (the power supply), a brain (the Central Processing Unit) and a concept of memory (RAM & ROM), nature is where we find our inspiration. Nature is where we have found the blue-prints for the machines we have built.  But, what if we tried to reverse the roles? What if we looked for things in machines that we could emulate to better our lives?

The curious case of the Voltage Regulator

In my years of studying electrical engineering, I have found parallels there to the human body, whether it be circuitry, the behaviour of electrons, or power distribution networks.  I have studied the use of voltage regulators or stabilisers, and am amazed at how powerful a tool they are. They are ubiquitous, found in every single electronic device and even in the automobiles we rely on.  My belief is that if we could find a way to regulate our minds in the way voltage stabilisers manage ups and downs, we would discover a calmer, more rational version of ourselves.

Here is how voltage regulators works.  You plug a device into the power socket which initiates a flow of electricity into that device.  This flow of electricity always fluctuates in the house or business where the device is located.  Its built-in voltage regulator then maintains a steady amount of electric current to the device.  Power surges and sudden power drops can cause serious damage to computers and other sensitive electronics.  For example, too much voltage would fry your laptop unless that power surge is managed instantly.

The link

Now lets draw a parallel to some of these terms.  Let’s imagine that the voltage stabiliser is our mind and that our body is the device. Just like one of these machines is constantly receiving and measuring peaks and drops in voltage, our mind is also constantly receiving and assessing things it sees, hears, tastes, smells, or feels.  Our brain is constantly processing these inputs and for the most part, the current human condition is such that our brain automatically reacts to them in the very way that we have trained it to react; by way of our habits and attitude. For example, let’s say we are out for a walk and it starts pouring rain.  Depending on how we have programmed our minds to react, we would either get really frustrated instantly and start complaining about how all our clothes are getting wet, or, we could take a moment, be mindful of what has happened, and chart out a path to the nearest awning for protection, all while maintaining a happy outlook on the day.  That continued positive outlook could make the difference between achieving success or failure in your day’s responsibilities.

Being mindful of the silver lining

You see, the truth is that rainfall is a gift. There are many countries in the world that suffer from drought and pray for rain to grow crops and in turn, feed their families. The truth is the fact that it rains, is part of our eco-system and is a necessary part of life. There is nothing bad about a normal rainy day.  However, somehow, our mind can rely on the imminent discomfort of wearing wet socks for a few minutes, to disregard the amazing gift and wonder that is rainfall.  The fact that it started raining, acts like a peak in voltage, a surge in electricity that has the power to do damage.  A voltage regulator assesses the surge, and controls how much of that power eventually hits the computer or device it’s connected to.  Which means that only what is relevant to the device’s optimal performance remains, and anything extra is cut out.  Now imagine we could do that; it starts to rain, our mind assesses the situation, retains the fact that rainfall is a good thing and cuts out the fact that our clothes are wet (clothes do dry!).  What this does is maintain a rational approach to what should come next, which is to find a solution to the predicament; a calm approach so as not to make any damaging or irrational decisions.

So now what?

The next time someone cuts you off in line, or if you get to the movies too late, or if you miss a flight, consider the event as a peak or surge. Imagine the event and every association you put to it, enter your mind, and then imagine your mind filtering through all of that data, cutting out everything that is damaging, and allowing to remain with you, only what is most relevant to your next move. What you need to do first here is, take a moment to assess and evaluate instead of rushing a decision. Take a few breathes and then go through this mental process.

To summarise

I look at my DVD player and realise that it has the ability to keep the noise out and remain focused on fulfilling its purpose in the universe, i.e., delivering entertainment.  All I want to do is just that, fulfil my purpose, whatever that may be, and I know that in order to do it justice, I need to keep the noise out.

Yes, we can learn from machines. After all, we made them!

P.S.

What in nature then, did we emulate to make Voltage Regulators? Ask me to find out :)