Do you ever feel bored?
Typically we hate it, and we avoid it.
But what if boredom is an opportunity to create an extraordinary life.
Being bored allows us to access our minds from a place of peace and ease, where all our creative power resides.
When we’re bored, we can use it either as an opportunity for growth or escape.
Escaping looks like scrolling on social media for way too long.
Or snacking, drinking, Netflixing, or busyness, anything to give us relief from the feeling of boredom.
But what if we don’t need relief? What if being bored is a good thing?
When my kids were little, I watched all the moms in the neighborhood keep themselves and their kids very busy.
It was easy to do.
So many activities and “great opportunities” for their kids to learn and develop.
But I wanted my kids to develop different skills.
I wanted them to learn to be with themselves and to like themselves.
I wanted them to explore and be creative.
I made a committment to not to become an over-busy, stressed-out family.
I wasn’t perfect by any means, but I gave my kids plenty of time to be bored, and they loved it.
They made up games, wrote stories, built cities, became superheroes, dreamed.
We grow up and tend to lose the ability to create and dream.
We keep ourselves so busy we don’t know what to do when we aren’t.
It feels painful, wrong.
So we escape into the unconsciousness of social media or cookies.
But even as adults, boredom can be a time of learning, discovering, growing.
We can allow boredom to work for us instead of against us.
I could choose to eat chips and watch Netflix, or I could just be with myself for a while.
Think about the people you’re most intimate with.
You don’t always have to be doing something with them.
You can just relax and be in each other’s presence.
There is peace, comfort, and joy in just being close.
Do you have that kind of intimacy with yourself?
When you don’t have a good relationship with yourself, and you don’t like hearing your own thoughts, you will want to escape being bored.
I love to go on long walks or drives with no music, no podcasts, just me and God.
I let my mind wander and just listen to what’s going on in there.
It’s when I get my best ideas.
I love to be with family and friends and listen to what’s going on in their minds too, no agenda, just be with them, appreciate them, enjoy them.
When I do this with me, I’m learning about myself and growing closer to me just like I learn and grow closer to them. It’s one of my favorite things to do.
Being bored is an opportunity to listen, to hear, to discover, to honor, to connect, and to build self intimacy.
When we allow boredom from a place of peace and ease, we access wisdom, ideas, and creativity.
Have you ever noticed that you get your best ideas when you’re in the shower?
If you allow yourself to be bored and not escape, you will find yourself.
You are a treasure worth finding, and your self-awareness and self-love will lead you to create an extraordinary life.
Be bored. It’s good for you.
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