Doing Less | Being More

It seems like lately everything I read stresses the importance of ‘being’.  What used to be words of only the enlightened masters has crept into all areas, including the business world.   The “do, do, do” mentality of the 80s and 90s has become “be, be, be” of the 2000s.

While I can sit and ‘be’ with the best of them, my practical side eventually rears its head saying, “with all this ‘being’, how do you ever get anything done?”  And so I pondered this question.

On an energetic level, ‘doing’ is an active, masculine energy, while ‘being’ is a passive, feminine energy.  Ultimately it is a balance (yin/yang) of these two energies that is optimal.  As a society, we are needing to balance as a whole and thus more feminine energies are permeating up from Mother Earth.

Putting the energy stuff aside for a second, I started to think back at all of the most pivotal times in my life… people, jobs, and situations.  I realized all of them just came to me or fell into my lap as opposed to my seeking it out.

Afterall, it is only when you are ‘being’ still that something can fall into your lap.”

Here is a personal example.

When I was graduating from law school and searching for my first law job, I sent out hundreds of resumes with not a single response. Then one evening at a law review reception, I saw my adjunct professor, who also happened to be a federal judge. Without even thinking about it, I walked up to him and asked if he knew of anyone hiring. He said, “Well, I am.” Within weeks, I was hired as his law clerk, which was far better than any of the jobs to which I had sent a resume. More importantly, he ended up being one of the most influential people in my life, which had nothing to do with law and everything to do with the meaning of life.

So you can see in my example where the delicate balance lies in ‘doing’ and ‘being’. I had enough active, doing energy to set an intention to get a law job (and to attend a boring law reception). From there, I was in a state of being waiting for the right opportunity and/or person to come along. And when it did, I listened to my inner voice and approached the Judge.

Sending out blind resumes was an example of too much ‘doing’. There is a huge difference between inspired action and busying yourself with activity to try to make things happen. Instead, by being present, you will be conscious and alert when those people or opportunities come along.

Think back on your most pivotal moments and use those as a template for finding your yin/yang balance point.

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