Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
John Lubbock
Many people of my generation grew up with an overly developed work ethic. We heard a lot about being productive and not wasting time. Those ideas were indoctrinated into us. Thus spending time just watching the clouds or the birds or trees can sometimes instill feelings of guilt because we are not being productive. I have to embrace the philosophy in this quote. I need to learn to feel good about doing absolutely nothing.
John Lubbock (1834 – 1913) was a British banker, liberal politician, philanthropist and scientist.
On Wednesdays I participate in Words Crush Wednesday Favorite Quote Challenge hosted by Rebirth of Lisa. Check out the blog and join the fun.
Good Woman 
As they say- we need to take time to smell the roses.
For me, it is – take time to read and learn from other bloggers.
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I agree that for me reading and the blogging adventure are worthwhile and significant ways to spend time..But beyond that, I think this quote is saying it’s ok to do absolutely nothing. I rarely just sit quietly and soak in my surroundings without doing something, which is what I think this quote suggests doing.
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I agree. Spending time observing and enjoying nature is not ildleness.
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And it can be so relaxing and inspiring and rejuvenating!
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I love this! I’ll be mindful of it. I tend to think I’m lazy when I rest.
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I think we probably were brought up the same way. Even when resting we had to be doing something productive, it was a break from hard physical or mental labor but we still had to do something. I have a hard time just watching a movie without doing something with my hands, like stitching. It drives my daughter crazy because the only time I just watch a movie is if we go to a theater, but I am too tight to spend that kind of money very often.
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Yes we seemed to have the same mindset. I can’t just watch TV
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Yes…if we don’t learn to rest, we’ll miss out on life and it will pass us by
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I think I always took time to rest–in the sense that I would take a break from whatever work I was doing, but I would always replace it with something else–like reading or a hobby. To just rest and occupy myself with absolutely nothing is the challenge for me. But how else can I truly appreciate God’s great creation?
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