Going Beyond the tug-of-war between Being and Doing

“I’m so tired of doing, doing, doing, all the time. I just want to be.” Every now and then I have a conversation with a client that is around similar lines. As high achievers striving for self-mastery observe their compulsive patterns of doing, overdoing, and never stopping to take a pause or a break, they feel frustrated at their inability to break free from the cycle. The immediate response is to seek Being and not indulge in doing at all. Like they are mutually exclusive.

But, being and doing are not two separate things but two sides of the same coin.Being also involves some doing – relaxing is doing, sitting still is doing, and experiencing sensations in meditation is an act of doing.

Think about it for a minute. Isn’t non-doing also a form of doing – not doing anything? Why?

Because as humans we can’t not act. Every moment there is some action whether it’s conversing, eating, sleeping, watching TV, or reading.

Don’t take my word for it. Even Krishna says so in the Gita. Chapter 3, Verse 5,

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् |

कार्यते ह्यवश: कर्म सर्व: प्रकृतिजैर्गुणै: || 5||

na hi kaśhchit kṣhaṇam api jātu tiṣhṭhatyakarma-kṛit

kāryate hyavaśhaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛiti-jair guṇaiḥ

There is no one who can remain without action even for a moment. Indeed, all beings are compelled to act by their qualities born of material nature (the three guṇas).

Related blogs

Going beyond Being v/s Doing 

So, as humans born of material nature, we have no choice but to act. The question then is not about being v/s doing but transitioning from compulsive doing to intentional doing. Self-mastery then is not about swinging from one extreme to another but being conscious about the choices we are making each moment. 

Ask yourself, 

• Is the incessant mental chatter going on and on compulsively? Or are you intentionally using your cognitive abilities to think through and problem-solve a challenging situation?
• Is the replies to the emails a compulsive volley back and forth or is there an intentional priority to address a work task and see it to completion?

Doing emanates from our being and the more we are conscious and aligned with our being, the more our doing evolves. Intentionally choosing our actions and behaviours to respond to what’s needed at the moment instead of compulsively doing changes the quality and texture of our doing and thereby the consequences.

So stop evaluating being v/s doing. Instead look at where your actions are coming from? When our doing is a conscious choice, we elevate it from impulsive action to conscious effort that’s more aligned to our Being. Then, self-mastery is the natural consequence because we choose how we channel our time, energy, and attention. 

Meraklis Insight: 

Ask yourself how intentional you are in your thoughts, feelings, and actions on a scale of 1 to 10. On the journey to self-mastery, what is one daily habit or ritual that can help you slow down and be conscious of your actions through the day?