Less Is More: Doing vs Being

As a modern society we have learnt to place an enormous amount of emphasis on DOING. We have learnt to fill our days with so much DOING that we have often completely forgotten how to BE. BEING is actually what we DO best. As Eckhart Tolle so beautifully puts it “we are human be-ings not human do-ings”. I notice from my own observations that when I become completely entranced by DOING, completing tasks, work, chores, ticking off lists and so on I can completely lose myself and get stuck on the little things. However when I take time to come back to myself, to just BE in between all that action, in amongst all that DOING, my world changes.
Presence creeps into the moments of space between the DOING and these morsels of presence that tend to grow are what makes life so delicious. When you give yourself the time to BE every task you need to complete flows better, becomes easier. Your DOING become more accurate and efficient, tasks are enjoyable and life moves smoothly. Less energy is expended and more is actually achieved.
This concept is described by Deepak Chopra as the Law of Least Effort. He says “If you observe nature at work, you will see that least effort is expended. Grass doesn’t try to grow, it just grows. Fish don’t try to swim, they just swim. Flowers don’t try to bloom, they just bloom. This is their intrinsic nature. It is the nature of babies to be in bliss. It is the nature of the sun to shine. It is the nature of the stars to glitter and sparkle. And it is human nature to make our dreams manifest into physical form, easily and effortlessly.”

Allowing yourself to just BE gives you the space to live more in tune with yourself, you BEING. And this allows for creativity, ideas, problem solving, innovation, initiative and motivation to flow freely. DOING occurs by itself without any effort on you part. You are no longer pushing yourself through every task that needs to be accomplished, making every achievement a piece of hard work. Rather, you are able to flow through all your TO DO lists with ease and grace an joy. And isn’t that what we all want? A happier, gentler, funner, easier life? DO less and BE more!