In the personal development world, “do nothing” might seem quite confronting. We’re very used to being offered a technique, method, or tool to fix a problem. What if I told you are not broken, so there is nothing to repair?
Actually, “do nothing” doesn’t mean literally sit on your post doing nothing – unless that’s what occurs to you in the moment. It simply means there is nothing specific that needs to be done, no map to follow.
Techniques are great. We use them all the time, for all sorts of things, from how we clean our teeth to how we plan a major project.
In terms of getting back in touch with our inner resilience, we might use any one of many techniques, based on what we are looking for at the time.
The aim though, is the same. To help us move on from sticky, habitual, conditioned thinking to a place of clear space, where new ideas or insight can happen. To be less stressed, more productive, grow a business…
And that’s great. But it’s important to know it’s not the technique that got us there. In fact, there’s no “there” to get to. We never left home. We simply lost sight of the innate resilience that is our birthright.
Imagine you have to cross a wide and raging river. You’re going to be super happy when someone offers you a hand and points out a series of simple, safe stepping stones. When you reach the other side, it would be tempting to think that the stepping stones were important, and the kind soul that pointed them out. The truth is that when you look back, not only are there no stepping stones, there’s no need for them in the gentle and shallow stream you now see. It’s kind of like that.
When we see for ourselves where experience comes from, we know our psychological freedom is not tied to a technique or teacher. That grants us a huge freedom: to play with all techniques and none.
