By Joshua Stevens
One may see someone who is overweight or someone on the shoulder of an interstate exit panhandling and label him or her as lazy. We talk about kids spending too much time on Facebook or playing video games and call it laziness. Ask those same children what it means to be lazy and they may mention spending time with friends, watching a favorite TV show, or time alone not doing chores. In other words, a happy time!
Miriam-Webster’s definition of laziness is simply “disinclined to work, activity or exertion.” This definition is like looking at the negative of a photograph. Laziness is NOT working, being active or exerting. Nothing is really defined here; we see only what laziness is NOT, and so what are we left with? I propose laziness is a period of rest, incubation and recovery (also happy time!) instead of the common negative connotation it is cast with. It is in these times of repose that inspiration can strike and change the course of your day or life. Laziness becomes a portal to a new phase of action.
In the daily routine life, we become accustomed, rooted, and achieve certainty. With certainty we feel safe. When we are safe, we can relax and recuperate (read: be lazy) but we eventually grow bored with this routine. With enough laziness, we become inspired to create new work, take risks or generally delve into uncertainty and cure the boredom. This provokes growth in ourselves, in our businesses, in our families, and has the greatest potential for life-giving joy, satisfaction and, again, certainty. When uncertainty slowly evolves into certainty, then we can again relax, recover and embrace laziness again. We feel certainty and ultimately require laziness to escape it via inspiration and action toward uncertainty. This keeps the cycle of certainty, uncertainty and laziness spinning nicely.
The incubation period of laziness is woefully undervalued in our society. Too much work, too many places to be, too much on the to-do list, too much thinking all keep us from a place of peace, joy and inspiration, which most of us label as lazy and a waste of time. We momentarily say to ourselves, “Ahhhhhh! OK, that felt nice, what’s next?” We chastise ourselves for wanting or allowing ourselves to be even a little lazy. We don’t seem to understand that this is a healthy and natural cycle.
The popular negative concept of laziness is a prime reason for the self-deprecation and negative self-talk that we think we need to dutifully endure. We aren’t good enough, smart enough, worthy enough for a respite. We haven’t climbed the mountain of mental chaos, worry, over-thinking or expectations to deserve such a reward. Most of us could stand to turn down the volume on this conversation. A period of laziness is a good time to do this. Next time you see a “lazy” overweight individual or panhandler, consider that their so-called “laziness” may be a positive thing, part of their own cycle that you are observing. Also, consider that instead of worrying about their laziness, maybe you should worry about your own!
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Joshua Stevens, D.C., is a holistic chiropractor in Chapel Hill and Durham, where he utilizes chiropractic, acupuncture, detoxification, nutrition, and cold laser therapy with patients. A two-time Ironman finisher, he focuses on racing cyclocross and mountain bikes … much easier!
