The hardest thing you'll ever try

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
That’s Blaise Pascal. 1654.
Still true in 2025.

Deepak Chopra added a twist:
We’re not human beings.
We’re human doings.

Always busy.
Always scrolling.
Always chasing the next thing.

I once wrote a chapter in my book about this.
The exercise was simple:
Do nothing.
Not relax.
Not scroll.
Not “catch up” on podcasts.
Set a timer for an hour and just sit. In silence.

Sounds easy.
It’s hell.

At Extra Mile event, we played a mindfulness version of it.
Close your eyes and count silently to 100.
Every time your mind drifts, pink elephant.
Start over.

Most people can’t get past 20.

But that’s the point.
Stillness is a skill.
And like any skill, it takes practice.

We think progress comes from speed.
From output.
From doing more.

But sometimes the most radical move is nothing.
Stopping.
Listening.
Letting the noise die down until you actually hear yourself.

Because doing nothing isn’t the opposite of progress.
It’s where progress begins.

Have a great weekend and do nothing for at least half an hour,

Tino