Better Kinds of Nothing

February 17

“There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want”

- Calvin and Hobbes

Good morning, friend.

Nothing.

The word nothing is, as far as the usefulness of words goes, pretty vague.

For example: the phrases “it’s nothing” and “oh, it was nothing” contain very different meanings, both of which, in fact, mean the opposite of what they claim.

The ‘nothing’ that you’re up to tonight is very different from the ‘nothing’ you did this afternoon, both of which are different than the ‘nothing’ you’ve got going on at 3 when your manager asks if you can meet last minute.

This is not to speak too negatively about a word—after all, ‘nothing’ seems to be useful in an incredible number of different situations, describing a wide variety of things, places, and feelings.

But maybe we write nothing off too quicky. After all, when was the last time you met someone at a party or awkward happy hour and asked, “so, what do you not do?”

In a something-obsessed world, maybe it was time we all made space for a little more nothing? A few more unplanned moments, a walk you don’t have to justify using psychology, taking time to breath without having to explain it as a mindfulness practice.

And if life requires a certain amount of doing nothing, maybe it’s worth asking what kind of nothing we’re doing?

Fast track relaxation to get us back to productivity,

Or the real kind of unscripted time and moments that live for their own sake?

Morning Reading is a daily email to help center yourself, reflect, and prepare for the day. It’s sent with love from your friend, Zach in Austin, Texas. He even drew the logo himself.

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