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Mahi River Viewpoint, Kanoda: Dolce Far Niente

Mahi River Viewpoint, Kanoda: Dolce Far Niente

By Kajal Shah Gujarat

Hello all,

I read this phrase years ago: Dolce Far Niente. It’s an Italian phrase that means “Sweetness of doing nothing.” I was so impressed that I even hand embroidered it on my saree.

As I write this, I remember our time in Dayara Bugyal. After we finished our trek for the day on all five days, we used to sit at the campsite and just relax. I have never felt that much peace in my entire life, and I have never felt more connected with nature or kids. Why? Because we were doing nothing in particular. Now, as we are back in our quotidian life, I feel as if those mountains, that clear blue sky, and those lush green grasslands are whispering in my ears: Dolce Far Niente.

It does not mean we should be lazy and idle by doing nothing, and it means that when we are on vacation, we take time to relax; similarly, we should imbibe that leisure time in our routine. We should keep that ‘do nothing time’ on our to-do list.

We had our Niente day yesterday, at Mahi river bank. The water was as clear as crystal, and we could literally count pebbles. Fluffy grey clouds and green mounds reflecting in the water, impending rain, and the sweet smell of mother earth – these were our companions. We five just sat there…doing nothing. Kids were making zen towers and skipping pebbles on the water surface. Sheel was reading a book. I was watching calm water, and papa was enjoying his favorite music. We laughed, had tea, talked about nothing and everything…Is it Niente? I don’t know. But I can say for sure that I didn’t remember those snowy mountains while I was there. I felt at peace. It was sweet doing nothing.

So just stop for a minute while reading this blog. Just think about your routine. What does it include? Running after kids, chasing your dream, thinking about the dinner menu, counting success steps in your career, or developing start-ups. Scrolling through Instagram or Facebook pages or binge-watching on Netflix. Just have a look. Drop your to-do list. Dring a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy it, not while reading a newspaper or looking at your mobile screen. Listen to your favorite music. And have a lazy walk with the kids in the evening. Feel the cool breeze on your face or, even better, splash in the puddles this monsoon with kids, make paper boats, or dance in the rain merrily in a way that Shahrukh-Madhuri or Amir-Kareena can’t compete. Laundry can wait, and dirty dishes can wait. Kids’ homework can wait. And so do reports/data/balance sheets.

You will be more productive when you include these little non-productive sweet cheat moments in your ‘routine.’ Lastly, don’t ever feel guilty about it. Instead, take pride. It doesn’t mean that you are not doing hard work or without motivation or ambition. It just means that you are giving importance to the important.

Life is better when we believe in what we do, and we do what we believe.

We went there in the morning. But sunset here is amazing! That’s it from our side. Sorry for the late Monday post, but as you see, I was just doing nothing…