Free Time At Xmas !, What will you do with it ? Options

[Ben Higgins]

So, most of us have got a few days to relax and kick back. To do nothing (or as close to nothing as possible). How many of us actually take that opportunity, though ? To do as little as possible ?

I imagine that most of us still find things to occupy our time with. A lot of you will be travelling to prior engagements, dinners etc. For many of you, the Xmas period is just as busy as any other.. and sometimes it's even more stressful than the rest of the year anyway, which seems totally opposed to what the holiday season is supposed to offer. A holiday should mean a break from your routine, a change of pace, a change of scenery and all the other cliches. A lot of people look at holiday periods as one long opportunity to party and socialise but that doesn't sound like much of a break to me.. if anything it's just using up your time being busy overindulging in drink, food and human company. But some people love that kind of thing

So, how many of us view doing nothing as laziness and how many of us realise that doing nothing can actually be a conscious choice of (in)action and a very necessary part of life ?

As modern humans we're so used to outside stimuli keeping us in a state of entertainment or distraction. It's got to the point were so many people are actually afraid of their own company, of having nothing to do, of being left alone with their own thoughts. But the sad part of that is that we should be able to sit with nothing but the silence and ourselves for company and not feel the pressing need to do anything. If you see a cow in a field or a bird on a tree branch, they are just in a state of being. Sure, they do things such as move, eat, drink, answering the call of nature, looking for food etc but these things are inherent in them. They aren't doing, they are being. And just like nature, we are human beings, not human doings.



So why do we feel like we're not allowed to say 'Today I am not doing anything' ? Because doing nothing is associated with laziness. But if you're making a conscious decision to 'do nothing' and just to 'be' then you're not being lazy at all. Just like reading a book or watching a movie is not being lazy. You're spending your time in a manner of your choosing. So if you choose to spend your time by sitting back and just enjoying the fact that you exist, then you're not frittering away your time aimlessly. You're spending it as you choose. You don't need to be alone to do nothing either. Choosing to spend time with your loves ones in a none specified manner is also choosing to do nothing but just to be.. just because you can.

So, spending Christmas by consciously taking a back seat from busying yourself with anything is one way to enjoy the holiday season. Another way is to allow yourself an indulgent period of intensive guitar practise ! Let's say you have 4-7 days where you could technically make some progress on the instrument or work on something fun and rewarding, what would it be ?

You could devote 15mins (or more) to one particular technique and divide the rest of your practise into other aspects you'd like to work on. Instead of slumping in front of the TV and eating chocolates you might be able to steal 30mins or 1hr each day over the holiday period to practise. They say it's the season of giving so don't forget to give to yourself ! At least that's what you can try to tell your other half when they pull that face as you head to the guitar room...

So, consciously do nothing or consciously do something. Whatever you find time to do this Christmas, I wish you all the best and I look forward to more of our nonsense in the forums in 2015 and beyond !

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