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
