Il Dolce Far Niente
Il dolce far niente.
The sweetness of doing nothing.
No, I’ve never watched Eat Pray Love, despite that being the rabbit hole this phrase sends you down when you Google it. I found this phrase while browsing r/simpleliving on Reddit and it piqued my interest.
I have been trying to detach myself from hustle culture. The idea that my worth as a human being is tied to my salary/my job title. That every moment must be productive. That I must solely seek to climb the corporate ladder & live in a bigger house, wear luxury brand clothing, vacation in the richest postcodes etc. It never ends.
I think a lot of us are overstimulated to the point where we passively go through life ticking boxes/accomplishments and never in the moment. Physically present but mentally a million miles away.
What if I told you that some of the best moments in my life happen on a Saturday morning? Sitting on my balcony, enjoying a cup of tea. The trees are moving gently in the breeze & my neighbour’s cute cat is perched by the window also watching the world go by. There is nowhere I need to be & nothing I need to accomplish. I am just simply there.
At dinner, I want to soak up the atmosphere of the establishment we’re at. I want to stare into your eyes and listen carefully when you tell me about your life. I want to savour the taste of the wine that you have carefully selected for us (okay if you don’t drink too :)) and discover a dish I have never tried before. I want to learn how to properly eat a shrimp like a cultured woman & laugh at my inevitable faux pas.
Connection to matter more than aesthetics.
Presence to matter more than performance.
Experience to matter more than evidence.
Unrushed. Deluxe. A Moment. An Experience.
Il dolce far niente.
Life has become far more vivid when I’ve stopped trying to turn every second of it into something useful.
💋Until then,
Ada
