TOTAL READ TIME: 3 Minutes

Unexpected lessons from watching Top Gun this month. © Kathy J. Sotak

I did a great thing this month: I made my husband watch the original 1986 Top Gun movie, something he has managed to avoid the past 36 years. Then we followed up with date night number two, watching Top Gun: Maverick.

My husband had low expectations, imagining a simple plot of guys flying fast planes. However, he was quickly impressed with several intersecting plotlines that goes along with accomplishing a mission.

Without giving any spoilers, a lesson Maverick taught in this year’s movie was “Don’t Think, Just Do.” As a fellow over-thinker, I can relate to this greatly. After all, it is comfortable inside my head, with my own active plotlines keeping me company. Can you also relate? If only we can turn off the ticker tape of thoughts. Then, how do we move into action and trust gut instinct?

While “Don’t Think, Just Do” is valuable in itself, I’m taking it a step further: “Don’t Do, Just Be.”

In the United States, this is Thanksgiving week. There’s a lot of pressure to do things. There’s the pressure to get together with family and friends. There’s the pressure of filling free space on the calendar.

I believe that part of the reason our culture is so busy is that we are uncomfortable slowing down. Then, we are bombarded with advertisements and social media FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). We are then left with our thoughts, which are amped up with so much pressure to do.

Now we are full circle: “Don’t Think Or Do, Just Be.”

I invite you to carve out a bit of time this week to just be. Practice the art of being vs. the science of doing. Let the day unfold on its own. Give yourself permission to have a clear calendar, even just once, with no expectations of doing anything.

With the natural hustle of December approaching quick, this week I’ll be exploring this art. I’m turning off the noise of the past and the need to plan for the future. I’ll be practicing sitting right here right now – which is the hardest thing in the world to master.

Join me in the mastery of being this week. You will become a maverick yourself. Then, maybe you’ll get a gut instinct to sit down and watch fast guys (and gals) in planes.