Nothing Doing

Neil Pasricha's 1000 Awesome Things blog, and his book The Book of Awesome, do for me what they clearly do for so many others.  They make me smile.  He succeeds in capturing life's little jewels, and bringing our attention to experiences we often rush by and fail to appreciate.  A sampling, in list form, of such treasures, includes:  "#913 Having a whole row by yourself on the plane;" "#863 The perfect egg crack;" "#858 The other side of the pillow;" "#838 The smell of freshly cut grass;" and "#796 The sound of rain from inside the tent."  


I don't always "grock" to Pasricha's particular sensibility.  For example, he lost me with "#789 Putting potato chips on a sandwich," and "#612 Finally farting when the guests leave."  (Sounds like a guy thing to me.)  


But the one that really reached me recently was #483 Do Nothing Days.  First there was the mesmerizing illustration, reproduced here in miniature.  How could you not want a day that made you feel like this?

And then there was the description:

No homework, no dinner dates, no sports practices, no visiting mates. It’s just you and you sharing a nice peaceful moment of alone time.

Pasricha goes on to recommend that 

[w]hen you’re lucky enough to score a Do Nothing day, do yourself a favor and do nothing. Give your brain a break and slip into [the] easy bliss of lying in crumpled sheets, taking a long bath, and ordering out for dinner. Ditch the guilt while you swing in a hammock, cuddle with your cat, or curl up on the couch in front of the TV.

 He closes with:

Once in a while it’s good to enjoy a completely unproductive daydreamy day with a slow smile and no worries.

This post nine days ago inspired many enthusiastic comments from Neil's readers, and my realization that Do Nothing Days are what I crave.  In my present stressed out state, the very idea is intoxicating, my new drug of choice.  I have decided to try to have at least one a week for the foreseeable future.  We'll see if I can stick to it.  And if the universe will cooperate.