When I was coming up, the two words you never said out loud were, “I’m bored!” Reason being, my people didn’t believe in kids being bored, so they always had some type of chore waiting in the wings to help you not be bored. I quickly learned to not utter those dreaded words, “I’m bored” even if I was. But the truth of the matter is that most of us experience some type of boredom in our lives from time to time. And so today let’s explore how we can turn that into something positive and good.
Being bored doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have anything to do. It is also a state of being, concerning the things you do all the time. You could simply be bored with your every day routine. Your days are probably very full with a lot on your plate, yet you still find yourself experiencing boredom of sorts. We have a tendency to fall into ruts, especially during the winter months when we spend more times indoors and at home. We are less physically active and often eat more. And some of us might even suffer from some form of depression as the nights grow longer and the days are shorter. I’m here to challenge you to do something about it.
In the spring and summer of 2008 I faithfully walked 2 miles 6 days a week and lost almost 25 pounds! And then the cold weather set in and I walked once or twice a week, and began to eat what we like to call “Comfort Foods.” My dear sisters, I want you to repeat after me…”There is no such thing as Comfort Food!!” That will be a discussion for another day, but the idea of finding comfort in food has tricked many of us up for far too long. I just needed to put that nugget of truth out there. ~Smile~ And along with not walking or exercising as much, eating heavier foods and watching much more TV, I ended up finding 20 of those pounds I had lost. That was sort of discouraging to say the least but inspiring at the same time. I was inspired to not give up and give into this momentary failure. I was inspired to move forward. But there did lurk the big question of, “How?” I walked again this summer and lost 15 pounds. I didn’t walk as many days because one thing I realized was that realistically I was not going to walk 6 days a week for the rest of my life. Therefore I needed to search out things that would work for me as a lifestyle change and challenge me at the same time.
Looking inwardly and truthfully at ourselves most often is not an easy task. Therefore we don’t rush to do it and given the choice we’d probably rather clean the toilet. But self-examination is a very important component to good emotional health. We have to come to the place where we are willing to look at the good, the bad and the ugly parts of those things that make us who we are today. One thing I’ve discovered is anything that demands a big chunk of time from me and is repetitious is something I’m not going to stick with. I love walking and for city living I am blessed to have a beautiful residential area to walk in that is full of flowers, trees, great architectural design and a park. But I still get bored walking every day. I have to mix it up. I love to dance and so workout videos that have dancing work for me, but I will become bored if I have to do that every day. I love watching Top Model marathons on the weekends, but if I had to watch it every weekend, I would be bored with it. Another fact about me is that I’m a daydreamer and a storyteller, so my mind has a tendency to wonder a lot. Even when I’m reading the Bible, certain words can trigger my imagination and I’m off. But worst of all, when I am bored I can gravitate to food for something to do. Yeah, I learned that about myself this past winter. So with this new found knowledge about me, I’m in the process of inspiring myself to live differently this winter and feed my boredom with creativity.
For starters, I’m going to learn something new each month! October has been a technological month thus far. I’m learning how to create my own website, starting a daily blog with a group of talented women, joined a group on Linkedin and the list goes on. November I want to feed my creative side, so I will be making homemade bath products with my oldest granddaughter Zoë for Christmas presents. Secondly, I’m focusing on exercise and relaxation. I want to try a dance class and yoga this winter. I might even take a quilting class in January. And last but not least I want to pickup one of my hobbies I have let slip over the years. I love crocheting baby blankets. It’s imperative for me to have some type of ongoing project that I can work on when feelings of boredom try to rule. My oldest daughter Shelley and I would do jigsaw puzzles on the dinning room table throughout the winter. We would start it together but worked on it whenever we felt like it and would come together to finish it. This was something we did for years and it was always a lot of fun. I think today computers have replaced that type of fun in many households.
As individuals we all have different personalities, gifts, talents and desires, so what inspires one person may not necessarily be inspiring to someone else. But there is a common thread that we all have and that is a need for good emotional health. Continuing in the theme of helping us to find quiet time and rest for our soul, spirit, mind and body, what are some ways you can inspire yourself? The picture I used this week inspired me because sometimes I do my best thinking while soaking in a nice hot bubble bath. In order to inspire ourselves we must have a place to think without distractions. It might be a bath, or it might be at Borders with a latté or cup of tea. Talking to a friend about how you’re feeling can also help put things in perspective.
I want to challenge you my dear sisters to think about how the winters are for you and if there is anything you would like to change about them? Is there something you’ve wanted to do that you keep putting on the back burner, such as a class? Do you keep putting off buying that exercise video you know you need? Is there a book club you would like to join, or maybe you’ve even thought about starting one of your own with a few friends.
Take time to look at your physical and emotional health and see what you can do to improve or maintain it. How are you feeling emotionally? Is there some depression lurking about? If so, what can you do to make things different? What is the root of your depression? I have purposely left out looking at your husband, marriage, and children because I’m encouraging you to take care of you. When momma is happy and content, things go oh, so much better. We are more patient, it is easier for us to wink at mishaps, people want to be around us and that person who likes to raise her voice in frustration all but disappears. It is about us my dear sisters, as women we often put ourselves last or neglect the things that make us happy and whole.
Mark 12:30 (KJV) tells us: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. I ask you, “If we are tired and our spirits and souls are sad and worn out, how much love can we give God?”
My dear sisters, I pray that you will take the challenge to try something new and take another step toward taking care of you.
Please write a comment and share from your heart what you think the upcoming winter months will hold for you.
Love & Hugs
Ponnie
A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.
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