In the midst of COVID-19, our lives have shifted dramatically. Prior to the pandemic, life was quite busy. Main Streets around the globe hustled and bustled with activity. Bars and restaurants had that familiar din of people and families enjoying themselves and spending time with friends and coworkers. Interstates and freeways were constantly congested with traffic, causing many of us to mumble unpleasant phrases under our breath as we tried to navigate our way to or from work. Concert halls and outdoor festivals were packed elbow-to-elbow with people looking for excitement and entertainment.

After the coronavirus - things changed. We find ourselves sitting alone with our thoughts. Scrolling through Facebook or binge-watching Netflix series after Netflix series. We’re doing a whole lot of nothing. But there’s a lot we can learn about ourselves and the world around us when we embrace nothingness.

In today’s episode, I discuss the importance of doing nothing and why it’s a muscle or skill you can build and hone. I discuss how nothingness encourages creativity and innovation, creating both contrast and focus in our lives while allowing us to face the truths of our current reality. I discuss how businesses and organizations can benefit from encouraging their employees to take time off to ‘just be’ and do nothing. I also discuss how the quietude forced upon us during the COVID-19 pandemic has created a profound opportunity for personal growth, placed a spotlight on humanity, and challenged us to learn how to create from within without requiring external forces to define the trajectory of our lives.

“We all have the capacity to create something from nothing. The key is a combination of courage and time.” - Chris Colbert

This week on Insert:Human

• Society’s perspective on worthiness
• Harvard Business Review contributor, Peter Bregman’s perspective on the ‘white space’ in life, why it’s important, and why he believes it’s a muscle you can build
• The importance of encouraging your staff to stay home and do nothing
• Addressing unfounded fears and feelings of discomfort around doing nothing
• How to embrace doing nothing and how it can help eliminate the stress and worry of our daily lives
• How the world has shifted from ‘pull’ to ‘push’ and how the blank space it creates has impacted us and our children
• Why learning how to deal with nothingness is hard, but not impossible
• How the COVID-19 pandemic has shined a spotlight on humanity and created a profound opportunity for personal growth

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “What if the best life preserver is not doing more - but rather, doing less? In fact, doing nothing.” - Chris Colbert
• “To do nothing, we must find the courage to let go of all that we think we have to do - and replace it with a silent contemplation of what we could and should do.” - Chris Colbert
• “When the omnipresence of pull recedes to be replaced by push, we feel quiet desperation emerge in ourselves and our children.” - Chris Colbert
• “That is what makes these unprecedented times a form of opportunity, of profound opportunity - the chance to change the context of our lives from pull to push.”

Resources Mentioned:

• The Importance of Doing Nothing article
• Not Enough Time? Try Doing Nothing by Peter Bregman, Harvard Business Review
• From Push to Pull: How to Manage Our Time in Disquieting Times article

Insert: Human - For a Better Life & Better World

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Insert: Human with your host, Chris Colbert. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and leave a review. Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more seekers and problem-solvers, like you.

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