Your opinion on: Inaction by Paulo Coelho

[Mu5clehead]

Life rewards action.

Enough said.

[Mellilope]

No, I don't. I can never relax nor calm down. Its... sad. And nerve wrecking. No matter how much I convince myself that I need a quiet day for myself I will feel guilty neverthe less. But I am working on it, as much as I can. I wish so bad for it to be different.

Wondering how you feel about it.

[mminopuga]

I think you don't do anything when you feel there's no point to do anything, when you've lost hope,  then you feel guilty.

[danceswithcrayons]

When it comes from the heart, doing nothing, is doing something, I think. Relaxing is not so easy for me sometimes, but when I do, there is no guilt and very enjoyable. Thank you Paulo!! : )

[Brrup]

You guys wanna hear something funny? When i'm doing nothing, I want to be doing something. When I'm doing something, I want to be doing nothing. How strange we humans are! :P

[vanillainpink]

I felt like the question is directed at me, for i am a 22 year old girl, freshly graduated, pretty occupied with personal engagements for the next two months to look for a job at the moment. But i will dedicatedly do that after i am done.

Do i feel guilty for doing nothing? yes. guilty and depressed, i do feel useless as well, even though what i am occupied with is also part of my future. But, Yes. I am one of those people who think that intentional inaction means uselessness. I admit that.

[Andragonfly]

Not doing anything can be a choice. After a time of activity sometimes the body as well as the mind needs a rest.And it might be that in period of inactivity you might be planning your next activity!

[zalacerne]

I do feel guilty, especially if the final product of doing nothing is not even one thought, conclusion, decision... If I feel that it even didn't serve to rest or unplug the brain... in other words I feel guilty when I know that I am not doing/did anything.. I don't usually say myself that the moment to act will come.. I tend to focus on guilt and I would say that we are learned to do something usefull and to feel guilty if we don't..

[Chopper132231]

I do not feel guilty, I will wait for the time I feel I'm ready to carry out my dreams!

[odiliacarmen]

i feel guilty .. and depressed .. and gloomy.. and I find no joy in anything and all looks grey and boring.. weird he? Sometimes though I fall in a state of peace on contemplation.. thats when I m aware of life and true happiness..

[ylchok]

I can only do nothing when I have planned to do nothing. I love no-guilt do-nothings but it is hard to find moments like that. I have to do something and label it doing nothing. Guilt drives me into action. Guilt also sometimes pins me down with inaction. Like a paralysis.. that is not a do-nothing. It is an inaction. It is different. What is relaxation?

[juanraulcastrellon]

i dont feel guilty if i dont have anything productive to do, then i have all the time to relax and do it with joy, this is off course in the short run we all have tons off things to do but in that day you can only do so much so do what you can, the rest god gave it to you to spend it wisely relaxing with youself or with others or for others. and is by little increments that we are more producctive so theres a lot of non guilty time to relax :)

[Momannah]

Well..........

I love to do nothing.

Becauese my believe is i am no thing. I love to learn and think dream solutions new ideas add them in to collective human thought world.

Last mentioned that why i never feel guilty

cause i believe all creation starts by dreaming thinking.

 Unfortunally ill have to work do my household . But i would love to just be in a world that accepts that, and where that would be possible,just creating when inspiriation passion care comes from nothing.

[Atikus666]

I think that it's a relative question cause sometimes we need do nothing at all, they are situations what goes beyond our hands and in those moments we just can wait and see what happens, otherwise they are situations when we must do something cause someone cares or when our interests are compromised, i think that mostly of the time is the interests factor who makes a men drives him self into that situacions no matter whatever they are

[Vienna7]

No, don't feel guilty one bit. I've paid my dues in life and have learned I deserve my down time.

[sannimaarit]

I think there is the right time for action and work and right time for not doing much visible but rest and let one's mind flow. we should not feel guilt, but if we do, the question is: is it healthy guilt, meaning that action is the cure, or guilt that is taught for us maybe when we were children, begging for approval for who we are by doing a lot, "being a good girl". I get really annoyed by people who are active in their negativity and cynicism, discouraging those who act for the better world.

[poetrychicks]

Alot of my friends are involved in left wing politics, making it difficult for me to wait for my correct moment to act, in peace!Lol!I give Reiki and bio-energy treatments (much to their amusement!)and in the meantime I think that's a worthy contribution to make to the coming

(r)evolution :o)

[jerrywheel08]

Guilt itself is a poorly understood condition. It is a symptom of being out of sync with the universe. To dwell on it, is a mistake because the act of feeling guilty is to do something besides finding a resolution to what caused it in the first place. When we behave inappropriately, & we act in ways that do harm, we feel guilty because we know we have been selfish. What is required is to change our behavior, feeling guilty does not help beyond calling attention to our actions. Change is the key.

[avisoss]

And guess what, others do want and try to make me feel guilty and feel that i am doing nothing, cause that's as far as they can think and speak... It took some time and a lot of soul-searching to understand what is right for me and that this guilt should stay with those who try to impose it on me...Anyway, I can go on for ever! Wish you all the best always.

T.V.

[avisoss]

you can raise yourself to a plane above the usual, you can truly FEEL and that is one of the highest actions one can reach...and unfortunately, so few even want or try to do it, let alone achieve it...So the guilt should be felt, when one has lost the instinct and the connection with the 'whole' and the 'self' that makes you feel the vital need to do the above..That frustrates and saddens me at the same time...

[avisoss]

So, no guilt for me, since the concept is non-existant in my world..There is no better time than having the privilege to have/make time to sit, stand, lie down, and just BE...you can listen inside you, around you, you can look, or have your eyes shut, you can really breath and smell, your mind can train itself to stop thinking or really think ( not just assume that it thinks - if you know what i mean), your body can teach itself to properly unwind, get in touch with all your senses,

[avisoss]

Greetings from Greece Paulo, Nice question! There is no such thing as doing nothing,., Who ever came up with that notion??? There's no inaction in nature and the universe, how can one even imagine inaction in our state of being? If one can see and hear clearly, then he/she will realise that there is always action happening inside and arroung us, and we are so much a part of that ,however we fail to realise it in most moments..

[CoeurSufi]

I do not feel guilty the times when "it seems" I do not nothing. :-) I know something is happening. and for it to happen, inaction,is needed, physical inaction, or mental or both. The soul is then having a way to express even if I do not realize it or do. I feel that afterwards, we learn and improve in these situations even if it sounds odd.

[Gambinooo]

I very much enjoy moments of inaction, when i just sit down and think of nothing and do nothing but only if that state of mind came after achieving something wether at work home or school.

if i stay inactive for too long, or if that inactivity is forced on me i cant bear it and feel like my chest wants to explode

[cg059106]

When one is in control of a situation, it is easier to sit back and wait for that moment to act. However when one is dependent on the situation or not in the controlling role, one feels the pressure to act. And when no action is taken you feel guilty with the "what if?" or " i should of?"

[goplaylan]

why should we fell guilty, we just fell guilty if we dond do what we should.....

and you ?? mr.. do you have the time to listen Jesus voice today???

[walkingen]

"wait for the moment to act"... I like that concept. many times I feel the need to act even when I should take a step back and wait.

[rsater]

Sometimes I am concerned that I am too comfortable doing nothing!

[anusha74]

I can relax in inaction..enjoy good music read a good book..or a walk or a good conversation.But sometimes I do question the "stop and smell the roses" coz i feel i am always smelling them :) so does that mean I should be running?

[3rbiya]

i cannot relax at all or enjoy life n if i do i feel extremely guilty about it later on bcoz this means that while i was spose to be doing something important that would have enabled me to relax later on i was actually giving myself a break that i do (well according to me DONT) deserve. this issue actually causes me alot of stress and sleepless nights and i honestly dont knw how to deal with it ..

[anakara67]

You got me! Actually this is my problem at this time. My working schedule changed, and i 'm having a day off every Tuesday. It was so big need for me to do nothing, but now i start feeling awfull , ( though there are some things that i cannot skip like cooking for the family). I was glad at the beggining, now I 'm feeling bad with all the time ia have for myself spend it on nothing. Will i have an answer on what to do with extra time? And what means doing nothing at all? With regards

[RFExperience]

it's a very tough call, and a such a fine line between inaction and reflection but it all depends on a lot more e.g your surroundings

[mrsM33]

Most times I feel guilty when I do nothing, wasting time. Like, I have not earned my time to do nothing. As a child i was always yelled at for doing nothing, I should always be productive. The guilt of that ,does not allow me to enjoy the times that I do nothing. Lately i 've become more in tune with my need for a calm, clear mind . many times that requires me to do nothing and most importantly do no thinking. Being in the moment of doing nothing is the key, something i have yet to master.

[7positive17]

Hi

I sure do. I have in this past year been working with more of an open space of solitude and little activity than ever before in my life. I have never really gotten use to it. In spite of all of this I have taken the time to work on my spiritual self and get to know the power of the Divine in my life. I still notice the feeling of guilt on occasion. I find myself releasing it in my meditation practices during the day. It somehow still resurfaces. I'm thankful.

[Tamarabarcelona]

well,honestly sometimes i really don't feel like i can do anything....like i ...i just can't....i don't feel guilty if i don't really have some important job to do or to help someone...i but if someone needs my help or i just should do something...i feel bad even if i am sick or something...i don't like to waste my time or some others time of course... sometimes i think that i shouldn't feel bad ( in some situations ) but i am ...

[chuli1975]

I have to be honest, I DO NOT feel guilty because, even when i'm not doing nothing i take the time to enjoy with myself and set new goals to achive in my life, I feel guilty when I do things that I don't like, want or go against of my own dreams...

[jerrywheel08]

I think that right now, at this time in history when our planet is undergoing so much change that is also accompanied with suffering, that developing the skills of patience and mindfulness is of the utmost importance. There is an excellent question in Buddhism that I believe applies to our current challenge. It is the question that is presented in the form of a koan and is this: "How does one achieve non-action through action?"

[maghy3431]

Hi Paulo

Inaction to me, means that you need to learn about the times of the moment, 'causeof the moment you can help well or wrong to other people. The moment is indicated in the way you talk with God.

[ivoryjaguar]

Every time we try to make our mark on the world, there is so much there already that we are faced with first having to take care of the baggage left there by others. As much as we are docile and friendly, it hurts to think that we need to either destroy or transform some of what is here so we can have our actions in place of what was here before.

[iyanasha]

i'm the type of person who realizes that life is indeed short. I'm 19 yet I feel like life's best is closing on me for such a young age. It's because I think I haven't done much in my life. Doing nothing actually scares me.

[ivoryjaguar]

Doing nothing is like being fixed in limbo. In my life I did not become a psychologist, did not become a theosophical messenger, did not become a real estate appraiser, did not become a business owner, and now I'm thinking about trying for "healer." Maybe someday I will be something, but as of today, I'm still doing nothing.

[ErikaKertesz]

I do. I feel like I am wasting my time. That I could do something worthy, something that helps me step forward in life. Although I truly think I would step forward faster if I could enjoy the minutes of doing nothing. Because that would mean I am in the present and I am living for the moment. And no matter what would happen to me in my life, at least I would be happy of doing my thing. And it could be doing stuff all the time, or doing nothing. Mind is a tricky thing. :)

[kaizenith17]

i'm the kind of person who feels guilty when i do not do anything. maybe that's the case for over achievers like me. being part of something even though how small the contribution i could give means a lot to me. i always want to be part of something. otherwise i feel useless.  it's probably a big regret for me to let them know that i am more than capable of doing these - call it pride or ego

[metha83]

I think it is a very difficult thing to do. I get a bad felling in the stomach. When I had a sabbath year between high school and the seminary, there was a time where I didn`t work, at first it was great, but after a while I hated it. I felt useless. And now I have nothing to do again, haven`t had anything to do the last one and a half month, it`s very depressive at times.

[falujah]

Yes I often regret my inactions, but I seem to keep repeating the mistakes. How to fix that, hmm? Maybe it just takes time, it's hard to change over a day.

I often think that I should do something and I imagine what follows after I've done it but I seldom go through with it.

[lirpatoni]

More recently when I feel I am not doing anything and I begin to question "what I am doing with my life, that I should find myself with nothing to do", I look at doing nothing as probably the most important thing for me to do. The challenge of stillness, becomes quite something.

[mayastral]

hello Paulo , firsty of all im a big fan yours. your books very special and an clear bridge between the 2 worlds that we live.

yes last weeks i m been feeling like that. like if im not doing the right thing ... not in the right moment not happy with my self and the others that i love and love me ... but at the same time its been happening big shifts of energy between all souls and is if that energys are interfering and crashing ... um grande abraco de paz e amor . ricardo marques

[brohussein]

Well , yes , I feel guilty when I do not act . Time is very important and we have to take advantage of it .People who feel guilty when not acting , they lead , they move , they help people to fulfill and achieve their dreams , and first and foremost help themselves . I believe in destiny , but I think that acting would change our destiny , because that superpower "who" controls every thing in that "small" World would reward those who act !

Thanks

[numquom]

i accept my ignorance and feel sad about it but i truly want to learn something new every time!knowledge is everything and by knowing yourself and where you stand in the world....then you can act properly,with strength and wisdom!

elena,greece

[viricho000]

I've seen alot of people around me who have made far more better choices now ,by thinking and stopping life and 'relax',studys for just a bit.

I guess it's all because of the war people have become more aware of their precious life and decisions.I think that's so beautiful.

[viricho000]

Yes I feel guilty , because I know I would be of good use in the the society,doing some work! A man is only a man doing decent handwork.This is when he truly knows what he has.And no I don't feel guilty, because I know it is only when you do nothing and often thinking is compared.Lots of thinking mostly about your life, your love,your politic opinion,science or what so ever.

[nefertiti0203]

While we acting we create. In the end,we are existing to create and feel the live and real. No matter falls from the sky can not provide us with satisfaction, as if we can reach something, when you fight for something. Waiting for the same things occur , is the fact that we do not want to enough. I think that life and the world work fors us, if we works for for them to.

[motheoracle]

I have been able to make my loses, my gains, through acceptance of the way my energy flows through the day. I follow the rhythms of my day and find that do nothing to one person may be a time for introspection for another. My body does not allow me to over-exert and resting is something I must allow myself. As an artist, I utilize this time being introspective of my creativity, my source of well being. Sometimes the most passive moments can bring much vision... the first step in fruition.

[butterfacegirl]

I became unemployed a few months back and since then I have been doing not much... seeking inspiration, taking life at my own pace. I am lucky to have a patient, loving and supportive partner. Maybe my problem is that I enjoy doing nothing too much and need to regain focus so I dont lose track of the light... Since I have been relaxed tho, I keep meeting the right people, interesting opportunities and ideas. So... I like not putting pressure on myself but must remember to live consciously. Peace

[PhilipV21]

Yeah when I do nothing I feel guilty in the sense that I am not being useful for something, instead i am being idle, and therefore useless!

[effijo]

Especially this period of my life, i really feel very guilty when doing nothing... I just can't stand seeing my life pass through my eyes and i being passive... So i try to learn and do things and fill my life with experiences and knowledge. I'm relaxing through my action somehow...

My kindest regards, Effi Iordanidou

[yannis5]

I always feel very guilty when I am not doing anything. I try to always tell myself that each day could be my last, and I feel very annoyed whenever I use one of these potential 'last days' to sit around and not use it to its fullest

[harmonycafe]

I'm in the process of resting and waiting for the inspired action to take on my career. I didn't take this route in the past but the old way - pushing things to happen - is like struggle & was not happy! So, I started in small ways to experiment with the waiting route and it works wonders and I felt SO good being led by the force to be at the right place at the right time. It's more productive, satisfying, & can go deeper in myself - it took some effort to shift into the new habit but it's easy.

[AMHK]

I'm often freely enjoying contemplation.

Thanks for asking!

Kind regards from HK

AM

[Syram17]

It really depends on the situation. Lately, since I am unemployed there are days that I don't do nothing and I will feel bad because I feel that I have waisted a lot of time. Especially when my husband is out all day long and when he comes at home and finds me in the couch watchin TV or reading a book. However, my husband says that I deserves my time off. SO with that being said, I won't feel guilty.

[snowwolfsabertooth]

no, but i feel guilty and anxious about a lot of other crap

[Acidecritics]

"do you feel that you are useless". Nope... I don't feel, actually I AM.

[cadyc3]

I do not feel guilty about moments of inactivity. I am trying to teach myself to be, really "Be" in the moment by stopping the constant often wearying flow of thoughts and focusing on natural sounds. It's very restful. Is achieving rest doing nothing? I think not.

[bianklec]

That would depend. For example, if I have done productive things during my week and then take it very easy during the weekend I won't feel bad at all. How ever today there was this situation : I brought my little brother to Mc. Donalds, and at the bottom of the table next to the window there was a bumble bee. He got scared and we changed tables. An other woman came with her kid to the same table. Then he starts crying because of the B.Bee and then she stared at me...I felt bad afterward.

[TangerineTangerine]

Both relaxation and action are important. I try to find the balance between these two, thats true happiness- I'd like to think that I'm getting better at it. I think the problem is that some ppl do nothing (nothing meaningful) and yet are under constant stress. They care, but stay passive. And they're passive under stress- meaning, they are busy with so much empty nonsense, there is simply no time to do something meaningful and no time to relax.

[salvadoors]

Hi everyone,,,,I feel like Athena, i need to fill my white spaces ......when the moments of inactivities prolong to long i feel depres,, I need to read something, write some letters, talk with somebody......