Do Nothing.

I mean nothing. Absolutely nothing.

But what is this crazy person talking about? you may ask.

Have you ever tried sitting down, maybe on your couch, leaning against a comfy cushion, or outside on your front step, or even alone at a terrace, with a glass of wine in front of you, and doing nothing? Not watching TV, or reading a book, or tap-tap-tapping on your smartphone. Just sitting and thinking.

We see it all the time: people standing in line, bent over their phones because they can't possibly imagine standing there and looking at the world around them. People reading on the bus instead of admiring the view from the window. Even people texting as they wait impatiently for the red light to turn green, instead of actually being aware of their surroundings (inarguably very important when driving).

It's like we can't fathom not filling every second of our lives with some sort of activity, busy and stressed out as we are with work, studies, kids, projects, or whatever. Imagine what it must be like to take some of that time, and actually do nothing with it (yes, I said it.)

Here are some ways of doing nothing you might want to try:

1. Sit alone at a restaurant and resist the temptation to take out a book or your phone. Enjoy watching what other people around you are doing.

2. Go outside, sit on your front step and just look at the world going by.

3. The next time you take a bus, or a train, look out the window. Imagine what you could be missing if you don't:

(View of the Tuscan countryside. Now that's worth looking at)

When you sit and do nothing, that's when inspiration comes. A solution to a problem may magically present itself. You might remember something you've forgotten. A pleasant memory might surface, and make you happy just thinking about it. And you may even get an idea. Just sitting there in my living room, doing nothing, is how I got the idea for this blog. (And no, it didn't just pop into my head as a solution to boredom. Not at all.)

Have any ideas suddenly come to you while you were doing nothing? Please leave a comment.