The dog days of summer are upon us in the Washington DC area with the heat and humidity. As a sit on the hour long subway ride to and from work each day, watching outside the window at the world passing by, I’m reminded of the importance of enjoying the simplicity of the moment without any expectations or sense to rush. Just being. For many these days this is described as the concept of mindfulness, paying attention to the present moment, without judgment, and becoming more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. There are many ways you can embrace and practice mindfulness, which has significant benefits helping to manage stress, improve focus, and improve self-awareness and well-being.
This reflection was also prompted by thoughts of Italy being on my mind recently, which reminded me of the related Italian phrase “il dolce far niente,” which translates to the sweetness of doing nothing. This concept also encourages being fully present in the moment and finding joy and beauty in simple pleasures and moments of quietness. Some of examples may be going for a walk without your mobile devices or other distractions, having a drink with a friend, a picnic, sitting in a park watching the people go by, or in the case of the article subtitle here, watching the bobber on your fishing line while sitting quietly by the water. This all takes me back to summers of my youth.
I remember many summers growing up in Georgia sitting on the red clay banks of Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River with Daddy quietly watching the bobber on the water for signs that a fish has taken a bite. For some kids or even adults it is difficult to sit still, be present, and enjoy the sweetness of doing nothing but wait and watch the bobber. But for me I remember those moments fondly. Quiet times with Daddy and enjoying the beauty and sounds of nature all around me. It brought with it a sense of calm, peace, serenity and clarity. I would go back to these same waters many times in my life, with Daddy or other family and friends, but also often alone and during times of challenges and change, to connect with the same emotions and benefits that embracing il dolce far niente provides.
Years later when I joined the Air Force, my first duty station was southern Italy in the Puglia region, where I first encountered the concept of il dolce far niente. I was fortunate to live off base with friends just outside a small village in a villa surrounded by ancient olive tree groves, a lemon orchard, and fig and nectarine trees. I would spend hours lounging on our flat roof or on the veranda simply looking out on the nature view around me, sipping a glass of wine or cappuccino or espresso and embracing il dolce far niente. Watching and learning to embrace this culture, I adapted to the slower pace of life with siestas, lounging in the piazzas, lounging and walking along the cliffs and beaches of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. My work at that time was new and sometimes intense, so embracing il dolce far niente provided the opportunity to lower my stress, relax, rest, recover and prepare for each new personal and professional challenge.
I still practice mindfulness and il dolce far niente as much as I can today to help manage stress and improve well-being. But I often get so distracted with the busyness of life that I lose track of how long it is in between moments of il dolce far niente. As a therapist asked me years ago, “how often do you eat to fuel your body or put fuel in your car?” Our answers of course, as mine when she asked me was “I eat every day to fuel my body and I fuel my car regularly, often weekly, to keep it running.” Her reply, “then why don’t you fuel your soul and spirit as often?” That was profound to me. The fuel for my soul and spirit is embracing il dolce far niente. It may be watching the fishing bobber, or sitting in a park, or going for a walk by the river or sitting in a cafe in a piazza. But I know I need to embrace it more regularly, especially these days in challenging times for our country and the world.
As always, I encourage you to reflect on your stories and experiences with mindfulness and the concept of il dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing). What have you done before or do now that embraces these concepts? How has it helped you? What are ways you can embrace these concepts going forward? How might they help you with personal or professional challenges you are facing today? I encourage you to consider these concepts and how you might experiment with them, even if for only a short time or small activity such as sitting in a park or garden. Whatever feels right for you, experiment with embracing il dolce far niente, and be open to the possibilities of the sweetness of doing nothing because Your Story Matters.
