Dolce Far Niente: The sweetness of doing nothing.
Well, here I am, a weekend almost coming to a close, a glass of wine at 2pm, and a new power suit in my closet. This weekend consisted of the most alone time I’ve had in over a year, I’d hate to admit it but I think my biggest struggle has always been spending time alone or not doing anything. A lot of this stems from my belief that I should always be working or trying to create something, which is a tough belief to shake.
There I was, a Saturday night alone, and what did I choose to do? I watched Eat Pray Love, made mini chocolate chip cookies, and lit my overpriced Bath & Body Works candle. Yes, this is me admitting to perfectly fitting the basic girls guide to her 20’s, I literally couldn’t care less.
There was a point in the movie where I literally felt like they were making fun of me and I had to pause. Ultimately, the wonderful Julia Roberts was in a barber shop complaining about her lack of accomplishments in a country as beautiful as Italy, and before she could finish she was stopped. The man she was with WHO LET ME NOT FORGET TO MENTION IS LITERALLY NAMED “LUCA SPAGHETTI” (classic), said the line “You feel guilty because you’re American. You don’t know how to enjoy yourself! Americans know entertainment, but don’t know pleasure. You work too hard. You get burned out. Then you come home and spend the whole weekend… in your pajamas in front of the TV. But you don’t know pleasure. You have to be told you’ve earned it.” and then some unnecessary joke about sleeping with someones wife.
It hit me more than I’d like to admit. Mainly because lately I’ve been overworking myself, only to reward myself with laying in bed and watching romantic comedies from the 2000’s. I’ve been trying to figure out how to find more pleasure during my work day, this past week it started with me actually taking a lunch break for the first time in a year, I honestly felt uncomfortable siting and not working. I’m not a source to provide the ultimate guide to relaxation and acceptance, but I mainly wanted to share my realization for anyone else who might be living the lifestyle and hasn’t been told yet to slow down. Slow down.
Here’s a few things I’m going to do this week.
- I’m going to set aside time to write. Step away from the computer for a second and see how I actually handle it.
- I’m going to eat lunch everyday. Regardless of how much I should be doing.
- I’m going to walk around my neighborhood every night after dinner, get out, remind myself that there’s other things I could be doing after getting off work besides working more.
- I’m going to pour myself a glass of wine after this and cook myself dinner while listening to some Diana Ross. Dancing optional.
Alright, that’s it for this strangely warm September Sunday.
With love and tequila,
Linds
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