It is said that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and, as I look around at our society today, I can see that this is very true in today’s world.
With the cost of living spiralling upwards, the saying, ‘Time is money’ is a bigger reality today than it was a few years ago, resulting in all of us becoming so focused on our work that we forget how to relax and have fun, resulting in us becoming quite dull indeed.
I am sure that most of you will reply with something like, “Great observation, Captain Obvious, but what’s new?” I will attempt to answer this question without becoming a big cliché.
I decided to watch a movie with my family, and, as I scrolled through the different titles, I was drawn to a specific one; Christopher Robin. For those of you who might not know, this is a movie based on the popular books from AA Milne, about Winnie the Pooh and his friends from the 100 Acre Wood.
I do not want to give away too much of the movie (for those of you who might not have seen it yet), but, in a nutshell, it depicts the life of a young boy who spend his days in this wood, playing make-believe games with his friends, often times just doing nothing. He loses touch with these friends when he is sent away to boarding school, and, as he becomes an adult, he decides that work is very important, and he cannot do nothing, as he now has a lot more responsibilities (including a wife and child).
He is tasked with the burden of trying to save the luggage company he worked for, by cutting costs, something he takes very seriously; so much so, that he even offers up a family weekend in order for him to do it. And, as his struggles with his task increase, he is reacquainted with his old friends, and is (mostly unwillingly on his part) reminded of the importance of having fun and doing nothing, resulting in him coming up with the perfect solution to save the company.
And then it hit me – I too have been guilty of not spending time with my family because I had work to do. I too am always busy with something, because doing nothing is frowned upon, resulting in missing an important event or being robbed of quality time with loved ones.
In the movie, Christopher Robin’s favourite quote is, “Doing nothing often leads to the very best of something,” and, I must be honest, these words resonated within me.
This week, forget about work and just do nothing. Spend some time with your family and friends, you might just get to know them better and realise they are actually quite a nice bunch.
And, you never know, you might just find the perfect solution for that problem you were battling with, while you are relaxed and doing ‘nothing’.
Until next week …
