Books On The Bedside Table

So you have a stack of books waiting to be read and they are calling out to you every time you get ready to sleep. “READ ME”, “no read me I was the one recommended by your good friend.  Remember, he’s going to ask how the book is coming the next time you meet.” NO read me I am the book you actually borrowed.”

Is this the chatter you hear as your eyes close and you fall into a troubled sleep? You have the best of intentions but the books are never cracked open. What exactly do you want?

During a deeper dialogue with a client, we discussed living a “passionate life” and used the books on his bedside table as an example.

“A passionate life is one lived with natural ease, simplicity, peace and incredible power and energy." 

There is no passion in mind games, pushing, manipulating, guilt, shame or being dishonest with yourself. 

If you don’t want to read the damn books don’t read them! 

Running with this idea we moved to discussions that have even more significance to life, such as relationships with in-laws, the ex and other issues he deals with as leader of a couple of hundred people.

In my previous life as a business coach we would have discussed that he go home and take control of the situation and put the books away as a statement of finality and real honesty. This though not a bad idea, misses the point. 

In fact, he started to suggest he put the books away and stopped himself by saying – “so what you really mean is that I don’t even have to move the books do I?  I agreed saying that when the books need to be moved they will be. Either by being read or moved or given back. The issue I said was not the books it was the addiction to the emotions you are feeling by not reading the books.

 As you accept that reality you will be free to do what ever the hell you want to do with the books or anything else in life. It will be done naturally and with little or no effort.”  This is living a passionate life.

To live naturally and passionately is to merely observe without commentary or judgment what you are doing or not doing, thinking or not thinking and what is going on around you.

• No commentary creates an opening for you to see the reality with clarity and allows you to respond ‘naturally” to situations and events that are occurring.

This maybe a leap, but it means that you can let go of the struggle of wondering what the best course of action could be, should be or ought to be. No amount of manipulation or cajoling will create enough energy for action so lighten up and start trusting that what you want is what you want.

The bottom line is, if you want the books to stay on the bedside table untouched, unread and taking up space, go for it!