When Your Essential Self Speaks – Do Nothing
June 14, 2009 by Jennifer Voss
Filed under Blog
Following your intuition can only happen if you can hear it.
The journal from the last post was written when I didn’t know whether I wanted to be a life coach, or if I just needed one. I was also reading Martha Beck’s The Joy Diet. Instead of simply reading it, I decided to do something revolutionary. I would actually DO the exercises as suggested.
Chapter One is entitled “Nothing.”
Go ahead. Laugh.
The book I finally decide to DO starts out with a chapter about doing nothing. When you are done laughing, we’ll resume…
Doing nothing for ten to fifteen minutes a day is a life changer.
While some people call this meditation or mindfulness, I called it wasted time at first. I could physically sit still, but my thoughts were like the incessant chatter of a hyper child. This was frustrating until I surrendered my control over the chatter (which, I of course, never really had). I watched my thoughts come and go and compassionately allowed myself to address them later.
When I stopped resisting, I fell asleep. Instead of wasted time, doing nothing became a nap.
Right there was my first lesson. I was over working and under sleeping.
Finally, I got to the point where I could simply sit for fifteen minutes, watching my thoughts, until they slowed to the point where I could hear and feel my soul. Whatever you believe is your higher power (I call mine God), this is the time when I can hear Him most clearly.
This is the place where I realized that I could trust my own internal wisdom.
This is the place where I sensed a true joy and peacefulness behind the war in my brain around food and my weight.
This is the place that knew when I figured out the secret to permanent weight loss that I wanted to pay it forward and help others find freedom from the fight.
This is the place that harbors your own internal wisdom.
Trust in it.
I highly recommend doing nothing for a while and see.
This is when magic happens and the synchronicities of life will blow you away.
Up next is the last post (for now) in this series: When Your Essential Self Speaks… Watch for the Magic.
Until then:
What does your essential self have to say when you are still?
I’m really enjoying this series, Jennifer.
My lizard has a very loud, persuasive voice. I used to think I couldn’t hear my essential self, but finally realized that it was more a matter of my lizard being extremely uncomfortable with what my ES had to say.
Stilling and quieting the mind on a regular basis is essential to making choices that are in our ultimate best interests. Nothing–no “thingness”–plays a vital role in our health, happiness and well-being.
Thank you for your lovely, engaging reminder of this wisdom. Looking forward to your next installment.
Thank you, Mary Anne!
I love no “thingness”… very clever… and it certainly plays a vital daily role in my health, happiness & well-being! Funny how many worship “busy” and sometimes the best worship is the opposite!
Thanks for your comments. Your smiling face is always welcome!
(Darn… didn’t mean to reply in admin mode! Lovely avatar though?)
Jennifer, I love your blog and the way that you talk about Martha’s concepts and put them into action! I look forward to reading more!!
Your words were so comforting. Everything you wrote registered within. I shall return to read more.
This is a beautiful post and yes, when we are in that still silence it is the time when I can hear God the most clearly, because I’m not talking!!!
how great that you discovered the joy in the moments of nothingness.
i love this. your graphics are so beautiful too.
It sounds like your experience of nothing gave you exactly what you needed! Bravo!
NOTHING is wonderful.
@Tabitha – I love I Choose Bliss. That is comforting in itself. What a great name!
@Sherry – Ha! Isn’t that the truth! (Not about how much you talk, of course… I can only speak for me!)
Thank you for stopping by. You are welcome to hang out here anytime.
@Karen, @Melita & @Lisa – Thank you!
@Snap – Nothing is wonderful! Totally agree!
Thank you for your time. Hope we cross paths again soon! Maybe on @Snap’s twistylane… (love that visual).
Jennifer
It’s so wonderful that you found magic in this. I’m finding it too after much cerebral chatter. It’s such a great reward. Have a great week discovering truth.
Nothing really is amazing. I love your unique way of adapting Martha Beck’s concepts to your own life. It is very inspiring.
I find your admission of skepticism delightful and the turnaround all the more striking! Good for you! I sometimes like to watch myself in 3rd person and see what rubbish I can be quite emphatic about and then notice how I become converted. It sure keeps me humble.
@Valli – Love that you’re seeing the magic too! It’s so much fun isn’t it!?
@Ellecubed – Thanks! Martha is inspiring and a wonderful mentor!
@becky – your comment made me smile. Yes… it keeps me very humble too. : )
Jennifer (in admin mode again… darn… that whole humble thing…)