Writing.....

When the Bland Kicks In....Combating the Boring and Learning to Thrive 

Fighting the mundane is a struggle. You wake up. You go through the motions, you go to work, you come home, you go to sleep. Sometimes it feels like even the things that once excited you are boring, meaningless and without joy. I don't know about you, but that's not my idea of a thriving life. 

Mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional stimulation are pretty important to what it means to flourish as a human being. Staying in tune with your physicality, your thinking and perceiving, your feelings and the things that bring you happiness and excitement, and most importantly, your relationship with God, are critical to your "quality of life" as a Christian and as a human being. 

Your physicality and its condition are hugely important in your well-being. Whether you're an all-star athlete or struggling just to get in your 5,000 steps a day, find a way to get moving in one way or another each day, no matter what your routine holds. Personally, I prefer swimming laps, hiking, biking, stretching, and when I can, horseback riding. 

On the days when I'm super busy, I don't always have time for a 5-mile bike trip or 45 minutes of lap swimming. But I do try to stretch, drink lots of water, and vary up my food intake to keep myself on track physically. That leads me to my next point: if you're bored and bland with the food you're eating, mix it up a little! Try more veggies, fruits, or simply just more unique food combinations. 

Mental stimulation is another area that I've found to be extremely critical to my success. My brain was made to learn and grow, to eagerly consume new information, to absorb amazing details about the world I live in. Granted, some of that happens in school and education, but not all of it does. In fact, sometimes this process is actually halted in an educational system. 

As just a suggestion, try finding an area that tickles your interest and sparks your mind, and learn what you can about it to keep your brain sharp and engaged about something fun. I personally am really into marine biology, microbiology, and history, so one of the things that I do to keep my brain stimulated is to read up on those topics. And that's just one way. 

Try a new hobby, too! This ties into the emotional well-being, believe it or not, because hobbies oftentimes lead to ways to regulate your emotions and keep yourself in tune with your thoughts, grounding you in who you are and the uniquely creative ways you express who you were made to be.

Sometimes these little tricks are things you find on your own, but often people have to show them to you before you realize what a great fit they are for you. 

My personal favorites are calligraphy, painting, and playing the piano, with the occasional singing thrown in along the side. Calligraphy and painting really had to be something that I was inspired to do, because for a long time, art was something I admired, but never would have dreamed of doing unless made to do it. Now, I'm an avid word-artist who loves painting. Don't limit yourself to things you only suppose you can do---open your horizons to the seemingly impossible. 

I also LOVE reading, writing, and communicating. Blogging is pretty big for me, but I love any good reading materials I can get my hands and eyes on, and I quickly devour novels, biographies, journals, informational articles, and even sometimes the occasional textbook. I was identified early on as a gifted learner, so I learned that reading was a fantastic way to grow my intellect and to have fun! 

Perhaps the most important thing here is to invest in a relationship with God. I cannot emphasize this enough. Growing in an intimate relationship with your Creator is so much more than stuffy, stupid religion---it's an intentional growth towards understanding who you are in relation to Christ and what your role is in this life as a result. It's figuring out, with God's help, why you've been placed on this earth and what your purpose is. 

It's learning to see the Word of God as a love letter. It's learning to find comfort from a Savior who loves you so much he came to die for you. It's opening yourself to mentors and leaders who will help you grow closer to God, and it's taking time to breathe in the incredible beauty of the God who loves you so mercifully, so unconditionally, that everything is possible with him, and that nothing you can ever do, ever, will ever come close to separating you from that love. 

So throw off the mundane, friends. Get in touch with your body, your mind, your emotions. Express your creativity in positive and healthy ways. Keep your physicality renewed, and strengthen your mind. But most importantly, no matter what, never stop pursuing a relationship with Christ. It's so much more than religion. So don't ever write Jesus Christ out of the picture, please, no matter what. He is so much more than any of us pathetic human beings will understand, and he is an eternal lover, brother, savior, creator and King to whom I owe everything I've got. 

That, friends, is flourishing.