Don’t just Do something sit there

When people say, “Don’t just sit there, do something,” they’re urging you to act. But if the quality of your being is poor —- if you don’t have enough peace, understanding, and equanimity, if you still have a lot of anger and worries — then your actions will also be poor. Your actions should be based on the foundation of a high quality of being. Being is non-action, so the quality of action depends on the quality of non-action. Non-action is already something. There are people who don’t seem to do very much, but their presence is crucial for the well-being of the world. You may know people like this, who are steady, not always busy doing things, not making a lot of money, or being engaged in a lot of projects, but who are very important to you; the quality of their presence makes them truly available. They are contributing non-action, the high quality of their presence. To be in the here and the now — solid and fully alive — is a very positive contribution to our collective situation.

From the book: How To Sit by Thich Nhat Hanh