I was having a conversation with someone the other day, and he mentioned to me that he was getting bored with his life and the world in general. Well, according to him, nothing much was happening, he was stuck in a routine and a vicious cycle of work, life, and sleep. One that he did over and over again to the point that he could go through the day almost with his eyes closed. Many times, he felt like he was running on autopilot, his body was simply doing the deeds, but his mind wasn’t there at all.
Oh yeah, that was exactly how he was finding it. And for that, he was bored with it all because there was no more fun or stimulation in it for him. Days blended into each other, and everything looked so similar to each other that it was difficult for him to tell them apart. Nothing new, nothing different, just the same crap on different days. That’s all.
But then, I couldn’t help but wonder, is it possible for someone to be bored with the life they live? Yeah, you can be bored with a book, you can be bored with a movie. Hell, you can even be bored with staying in one place. But then, with life, it takes on a whole new meaning. Now, note that this guy is pretty well off, he has a family and whatnot. It’s not like he’s lacking the basics, he’s just bored with it all.
I guess that feelings like these come when people feel that there’s nothing they’re doing that makes any difference. One of the biggest spices of life is challenges. We might not like it, but the challenges and obstacles we face are only the prelude to growths we can achieve. Because for every struggle you overcome, you get stronger and go up a step higher toward your goal. And then, each level of growth brings with it new challenges, which also bring about new experiences.
This is why it’s said that you stop living when you stop growing, because without it, we have nothing to spur us into action. We need a reason to wake up every day, we need something strong enough to force us to face our demons and fight our battles. We need motivation to take on new risks, so we can unlock new doors that will lead to new experiences for us.
So yeah, I guess I could understand why he was saying such a thing. And for me, my advice to him was to find something new and stimulating to do. Something he’s always wanted to do but couldn’t. he told me that he wanted to learn how to play the piano. He took an interest in his late twenties, but has never been able to learn because of work and family commitments. I urged him to make time to learn it, even if it was once a week.
He has decided that Sunday evenings will be for him to learn the piano, and he’s ready to embrace the challenges that it brings with it. He’s enjoying everything, from buying a new piano to watching YouTube tutorials. He’s doing quite okay. The piano gives him something to look forward to, and his kids have fun when he plays, mostly because he still sucks at it. But it’s brought a different kind of light into his life and a bounce in his steps.
And that’s how it is, it’s understandable to be bored with everything you have. But you should also consider that there can still be more to be had. It’s never too late, you’re never too old to start something new, something to add some spice or bring in some light to your life.
Just do it! What’s the worst that can happen, huh?
