
“Only boring people get bored.”
― Ruth Burke
The quote by Ruth Burke above may sound harsh but it can also motivate us into action and get proactive in our lives. Often, when we feel bored it can be tempting to make outside circumstances the cause and passively wait for circumstances to change. However, if we are taking ownership of our lives, then boredom is a helpful symptom that lets us know we are living in predictable ways, and are not exploring anything new or differently.
If we feel bored, then it is up to us to do something about it, and not wait for someone or something to happen to get us excited again.
This doesn’t necessarily mean an entire life overhaul but it might mean going a different way to work, eating at a different restaurant, changing up our exercise routine or taking up a hobby. It might also mean reconnecting with some goals or passions we have stopped doing or striving for, or ceasing thinking and talking about the same things in the same ways.

We are the author of our own life and this quote is a call for us to make some adjustments. If we were reading a book, and it had predictable story lines and it was the same information chapter after chapter, we wouldn’t finish the book or would be bored throughout. Not that every word or page has to be fantastic but we would want it to be interesting, leading somewhere and have some exciting surprises along the way as well.
Well, we can do that in our own lives too. We can approach and create each day as if it is a novel we are writing. We can spend our time creating an exciting, informative and interesting compilation of thoughts, and experiences.
Any previous days or chapters are in the past but this is a new day that we are writing. We can use the old manuscripts as a reference point, and apply any lessons learned there into our current novel.
As in any interesting novel, there are unexpected plot twists, characters and events that occur which can suddenly move us in a whole new direction. We may not have control over these occurrences but we do have control over our responses and general attitude.
Being open and optimistic about each day and our hopes for the future creates joy and flexibility, whereas, being pessimistic creates boredom, depression and rigidity.

Psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman explains a pessimist to be someone who uses the three P’s below to explain themselves and their lot in life:
Personalization: “It always happens to me!”
Pervasiveness: “It happens to me every day in every way!”
Permanence: “It will never end!”
As we can see, pessimistic thoughts won’t get us where we want to be. We all get lost sometimes and get writers block on occasion, but when we jump back into life and take some new and exciting actions, our creative juices will start flowing again.
It is exciting to think that today is evolving in this moment, and our present choices can help make it a joyful one or not. Now is the time to fully participate in our current relationships, careers and individual pursuits for better daily experiences, and leave boredom behind us.
Action Step:
If you are feeling bored today, than do one thing differently than you normally do.