I have nothing to show for today and that’s okay. I slept in until 10:30, played my guitar, and will spend the rest of the day in my pajamas watching all of my favorite movies. Today rather than stress over fundraising, making phone calls, or studying for my next quiz I am meditating on the beautiful Italian phrase
“il dolce far niente”
According to my favorite movie Eat Pray Love, Italians live by this phrase. It is ingrained in their culture. It simply means the “Sweetness of doing nothing” and as the phrase alludes to it can be explained as finding pleasure in the midst of doing nothing.
Woah! That is a far cry from the American mindset we are taught because remember “time is money”. We work so hard to one day become financially stable and one day do the things we enjoy but only find ourselves burnt out.
Sound familiar? The older I get the more I realize I am clinging too tightly to the “one day” rather than the “today”. Personally for me if I am not doing something that has a purpose to my overall goals in life I feel guilty. When did life become so rigid that little moments along the way weren’t good enough?
I think lately Lord has been challenging me to master the art of “being here”
To absorb every moment of every day because every moment holds the possibility of something epic, not because of what we work to accomplish but from the beauty and goodness of life itself.
So as I enjoy my relaxing day, I am redefining my normal to include more unforgettable moments with friends. Reading on the porch. Skyping. Enjoying the outdoors. Stuffing my face at French Pantry.
These are just a few simple things that make life all the sweeter.
Here's to living an "il dolce far niente" kind of life!
