When You Can’t Do Anything, Do Nothing
A Comforting Message for Those Feeling Powerless
Paralysis
Definition (Merriam-Webster)
- complete or partial loss of function especially when involving the motion or sensation in a part of the body
- loss of the ability to move
- a state of powerlessness or incapacity to act
#3. Numero tres.
A lot of people are feeling it right now. So let’s talk about it.
First, let me say that I don’t believe in absolute powerlessness.
There is always something you can do / think / read / watch / feel / that will empower you.
To quote Martin Luther King, Jr., “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
Even choosing not to act is demonstrating your power to choose.
But there comes a time for all of us when we will feel absolutely paralyzed — seemingly unable to move, think, act, feel.
Moments like these can feel like quicksand as the more you struggle to move, the further you sink into a pit of self-loathing, self-judgement, and so on.
For those who have this sensation often, it has been exacerbated by the isolation, loss and detachment from everyday reality we’re all experiencing during quarantine.
Add to this the social media posts of people perpetuating how much time you have to do everything you’ve ever wanted, and now you’ve piled on a steaming heap of guilt.
So what do you do?
Simple.
Give In to the Situation
We’re all floating down this river of life.
It’s only when we’re forced to do nothing that we realize nothing might be the best thing to do.
This isn’t some new age aphorism peddled on the back of a tea bag.
The value of doing nothing has been established in religions and philosophies for thousands of years.
From the Tao Te Ching, the principle of Wuwei or “nonaction”
The softest in the world surpasses the hardest in the world. What has no substance can penetrate what has no opening. Thereby I know the value of non-action.
From the Bible, Matthew 6:28 & 29, 34
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
From Friedrich Nietzsche, on Russian Fatalism
“Against this resentment the invalid has only one great remedy — I call it Russian fatalism, fatalism free from revolt and with which the Russian soldier to whom a campaign proves unbearable ultimately lays himself down in the snow.”
From Deepak Chopra, on the Law of Least Effort
“Put every effort into organizing your life, but remember that the ultimate organizer is Nature. Don’t try to steer the river. When Nature is most productive and creative, it does not work… it plays. The best work flows from us effortlessly. Putting up resistance to life ultimately never succeeds. Allow the gifts of spirit to come to you.”
You’re Not Alone
People since time immemorial have dealt with what you’re going through.
So if you feel paralyzed or powerless, perhaps you should gift yourself some time to do absolutely nothing.
Don’t feel guilty about it. Don’t concern yourself with responsibilities of the day.
Just take this moment to be.
When your tank has been filled, you can pursue all the things you’d like, but you must take care of yourself if you expect to help anyone else.
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Other quarantine-related articles:
What to Do When You Can’t Think of What to Do
How to Complete Your Goals When You Have TOO Much Time
This article is Day 3 of the 30-Day Fishbowl Series
You can start the series by clicking HERE.
