We place a high value on having something to do, staying busy, and being entertained. As a result we fill our time with activities, scroll through Facebook updates to "see what's going on", and play mindless games on our iPads. We are constantly filling our minds in the name of productivity but really we have fallen for one of the greatest myths of the 21st Century.
Boredom should be avoided.
As a parent I hear the "boredom complaint" from my kids and I am quick to offer resolutions. However I'm not sure this is the best remedy. When quick solutions to boredom are offered no real thinking has to be done. When 2 friends, a ball, and boredom are involved the sky is the limit on the kind of games that can be created. Boredom isn't something to be fixed or avoided it is the space that can begin to incubate the next fresh idea.
If we allow it, boredom can become an ally in our pursuit of creativity and fresh thinking.
Boredom, once thought to be the no-man's-land where ideas go to die, might really be the lab where things are tinkered with and new combinations are discovered.
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