The Sweetness of Doing Nothing?



“Il dolce far niente…” – It means, “The sweetness of doing nothing…” Italians seem to have no trouble embracing this concept.  It might as well be organically woven into their DNA… To an Italian, time is not something that can be consumed, thrown away or spent.  Instead it just exists… In the book, “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert, the main character has Italian friends who make her feel almost criminal because she, like most Americans, views time as a commodity.  This character wants to find out just what doing nothing feels like.  So, the author paints a lovely picture of a woman sitting alone at her own personal indoor picnic draped in silk and doing nothing but relishing the taste of the food… “Il dolce far niente…”

As I read this part of the book, I thought, “Mmmm… Sounds wonderful…”  Even the Italian words, “Il dolce far niente…” seem to conjure up warm Tuscan sunlight filtering through a window… flecks of dust suspended in golden shafts of light… (Insert contented sigh and stolen sip of Pinot here)

But wait… stop the film… turn on the lights… now is the time for me to come back to my real world, the one where I definitely don’t live in Tuscany.  The place where even if I was bold enough to swath myself in a silk kimono and lay a blanket on my living room floor with a plate of plump grapes and a few slices of prosciutto on a Sunday afternoon… I would not be truly enjoying myself.  Sure, I like a quiet day to read or do whatever as much as the next chick… but what I really love doing is… well… DOING!  Living in my world calls for a more distinctive statement that invokes a different sense of fulfillment and peace… let’s call it, “Il dolce far qualcosa!” – to put it frankly, “The sweetness of doing something!”

It doesn’t matter to me, but any given weekend I am known to be in a flurry of activity.  It may be cleaning out the garage, writing a speech for Women of the ELCA, shopping for that perfect outfit for Friday’s dinner, or a plenty of other activities.  But being industrious and active sparks creativity within me… and, depending on the task, I can become practically ebullient from the experience.  Those days when I am forced into inactivity, either by illness, weather or some other obstacle, are the ones where I fret… I languish… and I simply cannot feel harmony or contentment.  If it is in doing nothing that I am supposed to find serenity, I would counter that argument by noting that when we actually do something, we are living more fully in the moment… that we are vibrant and in tune with life.  I know that the Italians portrayed in this book would be scandalized to hear it, but I truly like work… the kind of work that makes your muscles ache or stretches your intellect or expands your spirit.  True renewal comes from activity and effort, not from simply sitting back and letting the world pass over you.   If you find beauty in doing nothing, then I would not want to discourage you.  But consider what can happen when you move, create, and engage life… then you can know the sweetness of doing something… “Il dolce far qualcosa…” then you will find a more lasting feeling of happiness and peace... whether you are Italian or not!