Thursday, July 12, 2012

Bored?

I really don't understand people who constantly complain about being bored.

How can anyone be bored when there is so much to do?  How can any Christian complain about being bored when there is an abundance of good works out there to do?

Our culture is so focused on entertainment that we have forgotten how to entertain ourselves.  Why can't people just learn to make their own fun?  Why do they constantly need other people to organise things for them?  It really annoys me how people complain there are not enough fun activities on, then when someone organises something, they don't come!  If we stopped focusing on ourselves, there would be no time to be bored.

I'm a big fan of what I call 'redeeming the time'.  I know some people's situations are certainly less than ideal (unemployment, sickness etc).  It's tempting to just wish they were over.  But guess what?  We are just going to complain about the next situation we find ourselves in.  If we complain about unemployment, we're just going to complain about having to go to work when we do get a job.  It's human nature.  So, let's redeem the time.  Right now, I have the flu.  Having all-day pregnancy sickness and the flu at once is not fun.  I haven't been able to work all this week, and I have two events I'm supposed to be organising for a fortnight's time.  I can't do much around the house (I'm very glad I don't have kids to look after).  But I need to ask myself how I can make the best use of my time?  Rather than complain about being bored, what opportunities do I have to do things that I wouldn't normally get to do...like read the Bible more, watch movies, get stuck into that bookcase of books I haven't read yet.  Although I need to spend a lot of time resting, I can use this time for good.  If I'm using it for good, then I can never be bored.

So, text or email a friend, create something, finish a project you never got a chance to do.  If you're well and complaining there's nothing to do on the weekends, how about you be the one to take some initiative and organise something?  Join a community group.  Do random acts of kindness.  Stop expecting everyone to drop everything and entertain you.

I often get asked if I get bored on the farm.  My answer: not at all.  I've always been the type of person who can exist quite happily with my own company if I need to.  Sure, some personalities find this easier than others, but it's a skill everyone should learn.

Still bored?

I don't get it.  Please explain...

4 comments:

betty-NZ said...

Well said! There's always something to do if you just take the time to look around.

Wendy said...

Sarah I get bored when supervising routine things like kids having showers, , supervising play times in the park, eating meals (when they are too crazy to have a conversation), but also being stuck in lines, in doctor's surgeries, stuck in traffic etc. But, if there is nothing stopping me doing my own thing I don't usually have problems. It is when my body needs to be present, but I'm unable to do something with my hands or mind that I want to do.

But I suspect that this isn't quite the type of boredom that you were wanting explained?

Sarah said...

I was referring to the 'here I am, now entertain me'/'there's nothing to do on the weekends' type of boredom so often complained about by teenagers and young adults.

Iris Flavia said...

I´m so with ya, there is always something to do - wish I had more time!
And... get well soon!