Boredom.  

It is viewed as a feverish symptom of a bigger problem.

In days of old boredom may have taken minutes or even hours to set in.  In today’s world it takes mere seconds.  

How long can you go before feeling anxious, requiring some sort of stimulation to distract your thinking? When you can’t find your phone or your internet is running slow, how long can you sustain patience before losing it? In other words, how good are you at doing nothing?

Before answering that question, let’s define what nothing looks like in this context.  

Nothing is the process of doing an activity such as walking, writing, drawing, or building while your mind is free to stream thoughts, ideas, and feelings without judgment, worry, or anxiety. Nothing occurs in the present moment, leaving you without ruminating over the past or fretting over the future.

Nothing is actually something; something really wonderful.

Nothing is giving yourself the opportunity to take a deep breath. It is allowing your body to relax and your muscles to rest. It is an awareness of the sights, sounds, and smells around you as you root yourself in the blessing of “right now.”

Nothing is acceptance. It is being okay with not being somewhere else. It is being okay in your own company without seeking the acceptance of others. It does not wallow in the jealousy of unlived moments or the desire of being someone else. It is enjoying who you are.

Nothing is a rejection of meaningless distractions. It is a broker of time that values peace over noise, live connection over screen projection, and consciousness over numbness. It calls you to exist to live, not live to exist.

Nothing is a way of life. It is not afraid of boredom. It does not panic at the idea of being alone. It can handle the thoughts that may come as you let silence take hold. It can even, with a little patience, surprise you with the ideas or creativity that are sparked when your mind is given room to wander.

Nothing is something; something pretty great. So get good at doing nothing, and you might find everything you didn’t know you needed.