The Importance of Doing Nothing

By Lily Rerecich

We humans, as a rule, have a tendency to become completely immersed in our own lives and be concerned mostly about things that affect us. We can be so caught up in our daily whatnot and all the problems that we need to fix. Our own daily lives are so important to us - we must remember to step outside ourselves and not only perceive the world around us, but stop to see its beauty. Our lives may be inevitably complicated, but that is just another good reason to pause and marvel at what’s around us. And often the best way of giving nature the admiration it deserves is simply going outside and doing nothing. If you think you live in a place where you are unable to see nature, you are wrong. Believe me, nature always finds a way to be right outside your window.

Nature, the world outside, is a purely wondrous thing. It’s the fabric of the world we live in and the cause for all life. And the people of the past, and indeed the people of today seem blissfully unaware of that. We are very much a part of this planet, but we are anything but its sole inhabitants. There are billions of species, and some could live in your own backyard. Humans have a talent of only considering themselves when they build their homes, cities, and machines. For example, nature was our first home, but as we built our cities and towns we began taking more then we gave and began exploiting countless resources. Throwing the ecosystems we depended on out of balance is not good for any creature in the long run, but it was convenient for humans and quickly made our lives comfortable. This way of thinking has led to humans virtually destroying the world. So if we have caused all this havoc, why is doing nothing so important? Our world has issues, many of which we are responsible for. People are aware of the plastic destroying our oceans; they have seen the heart-wrenching pictures of creatures that have been injured by the machines we have built, and they have even read about other people facing the consequences of our actions. But they don’t act. They are missing one crucial thing. They are missing their wonder. Wonder for the beauty left in our world. And that passion for the incredible wilderness that we come from ourselves is what will unite us. It is what will bring us together for our planet that we so love. And marveling at the wonder around us is best completed when doing nothing at all.

So this week when you find yourself with time at your hands, or when you have been working more than your share, stop what you are doing. Stop your worry and your fears. Instead, simply go outside and look around. And, just for a moment stop your busy life and let wonder fill your heart and your mind. Simply do nothing, and let the wonders around you that have really always been there wash over you. Because doing nothing is the most important first step that we can take to changing this world for the better.

All Photos by Lily Rerecich