Well, I'm back home in Istanbul after a wonderful, meditative vacation in France and Spain. I got to see friends I hadn't seen in too long, visit places I've wanted to see for a long time, and, most importantly, relax. I stopped everything, and spent quite a few days doing absolutely nothing, and loving it. There's something about seeing a person doing nothing that really bothers people. I think we tolerate it for a few minutes, but when it moves into hours or days, we get worried and nervous.
My life is busy. I go to work in the morning, spend the afternoon with friends, or sightseeing, or just walking around, and of course, going to the gym. In the evening I work again. My days off aren't really days off because I have private students. OK so my work isn't a constant, 9-5 kinda thing, and I do have a lot of free time, but very rarely am I just doing nothing.
Before I left for this trip, my friend Erturul gave me a book on meditation to read. One of the things that it made me realise was that I wasn't giving myself time and space to think, and listen to myself. By filling my days up from waking to bedtime, I didn't have time to sit and just be.
I let myself do that this holiday. And it was great. I learned so much about myself. It's funny how when I was at home and had nothing to do, before, I would be bored, and go and do something. Now I actually make time for not having anything to do and spend it meditating. It's so refreshing and has changed my outlook on life. The only problem is, when people see that you have nothing to do and are doing nothing, they get worried. It's a big obstacle to get over. Now when I see people doing nothing, I don't ask them if their bored, or try to fill up their time for them. I leave them be, and hope they enjoy it.
4 comments:
how i would like to find some time to do nothing.... and then rest afterward! i am glad you were able to find some chances to reflect and be meditative; it sounds like your vacation was wonderful and recuperative. i realise how out of touch i am with you because i didn't know that Turkey is where you ended up.... is it your long term plan to be there? i'd love to be more in touch. write to me sometime- charityelise.com -- the website is just underway, but i can receive my mail there nonetheless. love you girl.
Krisia darling, i give you a big hug and thank you for writing this post. For real. You should write a book about this and make everyone you know buy it. I cant count the number of people who have been frustrated with me over this ... There really is no such thing as "doing nothing". How can we at any point be "doing nothing"??? How does "existing" and "breathing" qualify as "nothing"?
Just crazy, i tell you!
I am so glad you got to have such a great vacation! And good for you that you spent some of it doing "nothing" :)
Hi! I am moving in three weeks to Istanbul to teach English! I'd love any advice you have to give on things that I should bring with me....
You know, Krisia, one of my cousins once gave me this piece of advice--because I always have to be doing something. Take off your watch and put it away for a short time. Then you don't keep checking what the time is. It's hard to do, especially when we have scheduled lives, but it's very helpful. Anyway, what are you working on in Istanbul? love, vafa
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