15 Aug 2021 · 7 min
Thomas Anglero argues that doing nothing is essential for calm. He explores quiet time, slowing down, and embracing unproductivity as forms of self-care and mindfulness that most people skip over.
Welcome to the Soul of Innovation podcast. I am Thomas Anglero, and I want to talk to you about what do you do, what do you think about in your quiet time. I've had a lot of time to think, and I really can't come up with any great thoughts. You ever have those moments that you actually have a few minutes to think and you can't come up with the next great thought to cure all diseases? You can't come with a great thought to make a lot of money starting your businesses. You're not able to just nail it, you know. I've been thinking a lot about that. Sometimes we just cannot be in our A-game no matter what we do. Sometimes staring into space just feels right, just feels good. Or sometimes it just doesn't feel anything, and just not feeling anything sometimes is a damn good feeling.
Do you know what I mean?
Sometimes it's nice just to listen to some music. And not accomplish anything, not race to anything. You ever have time that you don't care about time? You don't care about a to-do list. You don't want to care about a to-do list. You just want to be separated from time itself. You just want to be you, without pressure, without people and noise and issues. I've been thinking a lot about that. My conclusion is that that's probably some of the healthiest time that we spend with ourselves. That's some of the most valuable time you spend with yourself. Time that is— it doesn't actually do anything. It doesn't actually create anything, but allows you to just exist, allows you to feel okay. With just being okay. Don't feel guilty about that. Those moments is when you center yourself. Those are the moments that you actually gather your thoughts a bit, even though you don't have any thoughts. I've been doing a lot of it lately because there's so much stuff going on in my life in my head that I realize that is so hard. If someone asked me a math problem, what's 1 1, I would struggle. And I think that's okay. Struggling, putting together thoughts, walking, going for a walk without a purpose. Are some of the most important moments of your life because you're gathering yourself together, you're slowing yourself down, and you're giving yourself forgiveness. So what I want you to do is keep doing it. Don't feel guilty. Don't feel like you have to chase something, you have to rush to something. They don't feel that there's something to do. That's something to do is you. Today I was sitting on a sofa overlooking this park. I didn't care that I had my feet up on the sofa, even though I've been told never put your feet on the sofa. I did it anyway, and I realized I couldn't find a comfortable position. I leaned against the wall, I leaned against the back of the sofa. I couldn't find this comfortable position because I actually realized that I've been racing and going so fast I actually forgot how the hell to relax on a sofa other than laying down, right? So what I did was I shut off the mobile phone, pushed it away from me. I put my elbows on my knees and my hand— my head on my hand, and I just decided not to move. I decided not to do a damn thing. And after a few seconds, this tranquility came over me because I eliminated all sound, all thought. I eliminated movement from my life. And then I actually started feeling myself again. I want you to feel yourself again. When's the last time you were sitting still and you could feel the socks on your feet, the fabric from the socks on your feet? That's when you know You're still. Some heavy thoughts. Important. It doesn't take you taking a trip to some Tibetan monk palace on the top of a mountain somewhere, though it sounds awesome. Sometimes it just takes you sitting on your sofa not listening, barely breathing, not moving, for you to exist. Isn't that a beautiful thought? Go forth, spread beauty, light, and don't move. Don't think. Just be. Just exist. I love you. Until next time.
Thank you for listening to that episode. If you want to contact me, you can contact me on my website at anglero.com. And you can also subscribe to the newsletter, or you can find me anywhere on social media with Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Thank you so much, and I hope to hear from you very soon.
