"Dolce Far Niente"

I was recently wine tasting in Napa at the beautiful and much loved winery, Far Niente.

Our guide that day shared the story behind the winery’s name. When the owners first took over the property, they were clearing vines off an old stone building and discovered the words “Dolce Far Niente” carved into the stone.

In Italian, Dolce Far Niente means “the sweetness of doing nothing.”

It’s not about laziness, it’s about the art of savoring the moment. Relaxing without guilt. Letting yourself simply be.

How perfect is that for a place devoted to creating something meant to be enjoyed slowly, glass in hand, with good company, or perhaps just your own thoughts? The Italians truly got it right: slow living.

We deserve moments when we aren’t rushing from one thing to the next, when we put the to-do list aside and just exist.

Have you mastered the art of “just being”?

I was reminded of a dinner early in my marriage with one of my husband’s work peers and his wife, a psychology professor. As we chatted about her students, she shared something that has stayed with me for over 30 years:

“Most people never learn the art of being alone. They feel the need to fill the space with busyness.”

It struck me then, and it still does today. Perhaps Dolce Far Niente is the antidote.

So is Dolce Far Niente a cure, or at least a counterbalance for our over busy, productivity obsessed culture? Could embracing this notion help us restore a sense of balance?

Every afternoon, I take my Shih Tzu, Emmitt Smith, outside. We find a quiet spot in the sunlight, and I simply sit with my thoughts. Not the stress of the day or the weight of the week, just stillness. For me, it’s a start. :)

I’m at an age and stage in life where I can finally sit back, breathe, relax, and take in the world around me, without feeling the pressure to do. I remind myself that there is power, real power, in doing nothing.

So, here’s to carving out space for stillness and to letting the world slow down for a moment. And to finding sweetness not just in doing, but in simply being.

Cheers to Staying Happy, Healthy & Fit, while experiencing "Dolce Far Niente"!

xo, M & Emmitt Smith