The Power of Off: The Mindful Way to Stay Sane in a Virtual World

by Nancy Colier

How utterly radical it is to live without intention, and how utterly freeing it is. But be prepared: the mind will scream in protest when you drop “What do I do?” as your life’s mantra. But my life will never be what I want and nothing will ever happen if I don’t do something to make it happen! No matter what your mind screams, though, take a chance, be courageous, give it a whirl, and see what you discover. If the experiment fails, you can always return to your intentions and agendas and the experts who will be there waiting to help you figure out what you need to do about your life. In truth, life actually happens when you stop doing something with it and to it. But to trust this fact, you have to discover it for yourself. When you live with here as your destination, life gets better and much easier. You can relax and become part of the natural unfolding of life, the process you think you are making happen. When you stop asking, “What do I do?” and start asking, “What’s here, now?” you discover that the presence you are after, the place of no effort, is right here, without your having to do anything at all. Trust that life, as its own force, doesn’t need you to force it forward.