"i'm bored."

i'm a little bugged by the word "bored".

first of all, it's a bit over-used, isn't it? haven't we kinda used it to the point that it's overkill?

are you really bored? is there NOTHING that you can be doing, or are you just choosing to do nothing... ? and if you're choosing to do nothing, and some part of you is enjoying it... then you aren't bored.

or, maybe you haven't taken the time to seek out something to do. maybe you're really bored, but it's because you're too lazy to do anything about it.

or maybe being bored is comfortable for you. when you actually get up to get going and get something accomplished, you hate it. because you like being bored. boredom is your comfort zone. boredom is what you've done for so long, that you wouldn't have it any other way.

chances are, if you've ever said "i'm bored" out loud... one of the above statements applies to you. (let me just say this- i'm not really aiming this blog to people who might say "i'm bored" once in a blue moon, or half-jokingly.. i'm really addressing people who have a major issue with using boredom as an excuse to waste their lives. people who blame boredom for their misery... more than three or four times in one week, for example.)

i also need to tell you that sometimes i can understand genuine boredom when someone expresses how bored they are to me. sometimes my heart goes out to people (especially living in a small town like i do) because there is a major lack of "things to do" around here. however... and honestly... if you are passionate enough about being alive and experiencing great things around you, then you can avoid the trap of boredom.

you don't have to be bored. no matter if you have very few friends, no matter if you live in a town with a population of 20 people, no matter if you don't have internet access, no matter what your former excuses for boredom might've been.

being bored is a black hole that some people trip and fall into. unfortunately, it can lead to people making big mistakes with their lives because they had "nothing else to do".. like forming addictions, building walls between themselves and others, or spending time with the wrong crowd of people.

or, it can lead them to literally wasting days/months/years in doing things that are void of purpose like watching tv, playing video games, etc... you get it. boredom rarely leads to anything good. and i believe we can be deeply, spiritually bored inside of ourselves which can lead to even worse consquences if we don't realize that there is so much more to life than what we see with our human eyes.

it's heartbreaking to me as i watch kids, teenagers, and adults who lack creativity, motivation, depth... they don't dream, they don't take risks... they don't believe in themselves. instead they try drugs, empty relationships, hours of television. instead they become angry, depressed, or closed off. instead they choose to believe the lies that boredom tells us all... might as well go with them (even though they're horrible influences), nobody else wants to hang out with you. might as well play another hour of halo, nothing else to do. might as well do nothing, just like you've done for the past four days, nobody cares anyway.

boredom is a real problem. it's sad that our nation has come to this point, where we no longer encourage each other to invent/create/inspire. it's sad that instead, we basically teach that boredom is a normal part of life. it's not. it doesn't have to be.

(to be continued.)