UPDATE 11/26/2017: Of course, during the pre-shadow of the Mercury Retrograde, the Universe just had to go and throw ANOTHER technical curve ball. #SoNotFunnyOK 😝
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Interestingly enough, in an attempt to combat boredom, I decided to check out an online streaming video services geared toward the “conscious consumer”. Among their exclusive programming , I immediately found a very disturbing documentary simply entitled BOREDOM (2012). 😩
Initially, I thought: “Well that sounds boring!” Yet I decided to throw caution to the wind and pressed Play. Within the first eight minutes, I was already experiencing triggers. Unfortunately, my triggers were not of past events but more of “a clear and present danger”. Who remembers the 1999 movie, Office Space?!? 😆
A Case of the Mondays
In the first YouTube scene shared below, Peter arrives just in time for a scheduled meeting with the Bob’s, who are third-party consultants brought in to “take care of the glitches.” By this particular scene, Peter had stopped coming to work anyway but hasn’t been fired. (You’ll have to watch the movie to find out more.) So in this scene, he’s sharing with them about a typical un-motivating work day/week.
Now in this next scene, Peter visits a nearby restaurant to ask out a witness that he’s had a secret crush on. During their impromptu lunch date, she gets the ball rolling with a common “get to know you” question: “So where do you work?” With no holds barred, he proceeds to tell her exactly how he truly feels about his J.O.B. 😂
The Laws of Boredom
In the documentary, Boredom, we’re introduced to the “laws of” boredom:
- AN UNSTIMULATING ENVIRONMENT
- Aggravating REPETITION
- Being forced to STAY VIGILANT, especially when something isn’t of interest to the audience
[bctt tweet=”Doesn’t this sound a lot like the educational system, the penal system, and the workplace?!? 😲” username=”drjaketha”]
For example: I graduated eighth in my high school class of around 100 or more. As smart as I was, I didn’t like school. Although my guardian was of the “get a college degree, so you could get a good job” variety, I knew that I didn’t want to take the traditional route of going straight to college immediately after high school. Like other unmotivated kids my age, I wanted to get out of that small town DO SOMETHING, GO SOMEWHERE – anything that would take me away from the land of boredom. But instead of following my heart, I gave in to conformity. I went on to college and 25+ years later, I have a Bachelor degree, two Master degrees and a doctorate degree and guess what?!? I’m still BORED!!!!
Following that path made it easier for me to confine to the responsibilities of life, but really – “Is this all there is (to life)?” Now don’t get me wrong – I’ve been in my current industry 20+ years with only three employers, so I’m not a “job hopper” or a “thrill seeker”. But seriously, if I can face the music and admit that I’m bored in my early 40s with another 25 years to go before I’m eligible for retirement with my current employer, where does that leave the current generation? Is this what they will have to look forward too? It’s both saddening and maddening to really think about. This is why my four-year-old would rather go to work with me – he can’t under the current circumstances – instead of preschool. By the way, he’s at the top of his class RIGHT NOW. So by the time, he starts kindergarten, guess what he’ll be? BORED OUT OF HIS MIND and he likely won’t be by himself if in such a state if there are other indigo children around!!!
Dumb Down Children of the Bored
The worst thing in the world is an bored child. The most dangerous….a [bored] teenager.
~Alan Carub
I discuss indigo children in an earlier post entitled, Can Mommy Have a Meltdown Please?, In that post, I shared a passage from the book, The Conscious Parent by Shefali Tsabary [Amazon], which explains the price our children pay when we as parents lack consciousness. In other words, when we go along to get along (or when we conform to the system without a second thought). Now does this mean everyone should be allowed to do whatever they want to do? Obviously that’s a resounding HELL NO!!! Yet some systems are already broken. But instead of “fixing the glitch(-es)”, the systems remain as is. As I shared in that post, which deserves repeating here:
Our school systems are so archaic, ‘spiritually asleep’, operating on auto-pilot, resulting in far too many children being misdiagnosed with ADD, ADHD, and a host of other illnesses, diseases, and disorders all in an attempt to “medicate” them into submission.
In one clip of Boredom, Alan Caruba of The Boring Institute, shares:
…You take a child who’s full of energy and full of curiosity and you make him sit at the same desk…hour after hour after hour….They’re controlled by the clock and by the bell. And when the bells ring, then they go to the next classroom. Then the bells ring, and they go to the next classroom. And you try to pour the appropriate, designated, authorized information into his or her skull. There is nothing more boring!”
Boredom & Your Health
This documentary proves the damaging affects that boredom have on us regardless of age. From depression to obesity to heart disease, the physical and mental illnesses abound. Even in my own field – information technology (IT), boredom leads to burnout. According the American Psychological Association (APA), “burnout can cause depression, anxiety, and physical illnesses”. In an article entitled, “IT can be a breeding ground for burnout”, it states that people in a constant state of burnout are more apt to give in to drugs or alcohol [addictions]. “If left unaddressed, burnout can cause physical and mental breakdowns, suicide, stroke and heart attacks.”(source). All of which is proven through this documentary. Chronic boredom produces higher cortisone levels, which results in higher stress levels. It correlates boredom with addictions in that we are literally “medicating the boredom” away.
Move into Your Passion
When I say passion, I am not referring to abuse or overindulgence in harmful or addictive behaviors. Its about BEING in a constant state of presence, Its about being aware of your life and of your very breathe. Its about being attuned with your soul’s purpose and heart’s desires and working toward its fulfillment. In cases like these, Spirit always sends me a comforting word or sign right before I press Publish. (Again, thank you Spirit!) Okay so during a (long) gap in writing this post, I stopped to pay a bill online. My payment confirmation number was filled with a series of 2s – five to be exact (or 2 sets of Master Number 22 + an extra one for good measure). Upon further inspection, I became aware of what Spirit meant when I heard the word PATIENCE as I was sluggishly getting ready to leave for work this Monday morning. I know this doesn’t just apply to me. 😇
Number 2 relates to pursuing your life purpose and soul mission. (source)- Master Number 22 is associated with “unlimited potential of mastery in any and all areas – the spiritual, physical, emotional and mental…manifesting miracles and new opportunities.” (source)
- “The message of Angel Number 222 is that everything will turn out for the best in the long-term.” (source)
- “222 is the symbol of new beginnings, the next step up the ladder…222 symbolizes fresh air breathed into day-to-day routine. A renewed sense of vigor and lust for new opportunities. Take the daydreams and wishes that make your heart smile and start taking action toward making them a reality.” (source)
- “The number sequence of 2222 indicates that newly planted ideas are beginning to take form and grow into reality for you.” (source)
- 2222 “signals a time of change on your path.” (source)
IT’S PURPOSE & PASSION TIME SO LET’S GET MOVING, SHALL WE?!?