When You Feel Like Nothing is Happening

There are times when it feels like nothing is happening.

I’m quite familiar with these.

Suddenly I don’t feel inspired to do much. I don’t know what to do, or what’s coming.

With time, I’ve realized that there’s never nothing going on. What’s really happening is that we are resisting what’s happening right now.

Sometimes what’s happening is simply nothing on the external level, but that is a call from life to take a break.

I used to resist these times

Now I see that the thought “Nothing is happening,” is a distraction from feeling.

You may not always even notice that there’s a feeling you’re avoiding if you’ve spent your whole life in your head.

If this is the case, simply start feeling the body. Close your eyes and feel your toes, legs, chest, arms, and so on. Practice this until you can feel the energy buzzing in the body.

It may take a few days or a few weeks, but you’ll get there.

In reality, there’s nothing wrong with this moment. The only way to make it wrong is to have an idea of how it should be and compare that to how it is.

Seeing how we create our own suffering is never easy, but it will set you free.

The video

Here’s a short video I recorded a long time ago in 2015. This was when I was in the middle of a period of nothing happening.

The article continues below the video.

These times are opportunities for change

Have you tried to force yourself into a box to please others, or to achieve some goal you think will make you happy?

Now is the time to re-evaluate. What is it that makes you come alive?

Don’t look for anything big. Look for the next tiny step, which could be as small as going for a walk, or finally picking up that book you’ve been meaning to read.

Instead of looking for achievement, look for enjoyment.

Not enjoyment like eating ice cream, but enjoyment like following what interests you.

We don’t know where things may lead, yet thoughts claim to know the future by judging what you should or shouldn’t do.

Let those thoughts pass, and bring your attention back to this moment.

Here are 3 things that help

Being stuck in a place where nothing seems to be happening can feel agonizing, so here are three concrete things I’ve found helpful:

1. Surrender. By surrender I mean to simply let life be as it is. It is when I resist life—and think it should be something that it’s not—that I suffer. The suffering is self-inflicted. Thoughts will try to pull you into a story of why you’re right to suffer, but let those thoughts be, and feel the feeling that is hiding beneath. Once this feeling is felt, things open up.

2. Investigate. Thoughts can tell mesmerizing stories. That’s why investigation is crucial. What thoughts are you believing that cause resistance? What is wrong with this moment? Notice what comes up and feel the resistance. Feel the wanting to get rid of it. Include everything.

3. Have fun. Even when you feel like nothing is happening, there’s always something you feel drawn to do. Sometimes that something is lying in bed. The problem is that you don’t allow yourself to relax. You might lie in bed, but your mind is running a presentation on how horrible and lazy you are. If that’s the case, allow yourself to be horrible. Allow yourself to be completely lazy. This doesn’t mean fighting those thoughts.

Be open to what life brings. If nothing is happening right now, that’s exactly what’s needed. How do I know? Because that’s what’s happening. The resistance is what creates the feeling of being stuck.

We don’t see the whole picture

Saying that nothing is happening is easy, but it’s conjecture, isn’t it?

It’s an assumption, a half-truth.

I can’t know what’s happening in life, and what’s not. I can only think that I know. I can think that nothing is happening. When I think that and believe it, I feel stuck.

However, is it really true?

How can you know that nothing is happening?

What you’ll find is that the story that nothing is happening is hiding fear, or a friend of fear. You’re afraid of something going wrong.

Find out what it is, then feel it, face it.

Face the demons within

When you face the fear, and feel the feelings, you realize there was never anything to be afraid of, but it doesn’t feel that way until after you’ve done it.

And sometimes your suffering has to be turned to 11 in order for you to look.

That’s okay. That’s what happened to me. In hindsight, I’m grateful it happened.

Going through wasn’t a smooth ride, yet everything was okay.

We can trust our ability to handle whatever life brings. You can challenge your thoughts. You can feel whatever is being avoided.

Cheers!
Henri

P.S. If nothing is happening in your life, you may want to check out my book Follow Your Heart: 21 Days to a Happier, More Fulfilling Life. (Amazon affiliate link that supports my work without extra cost to you).