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Cure Boredom

I have to imagine that, as commanders and parents, we have all heard the phrase, “I’m bored.”  I’ll go one further.  I have had parents come up to me after Rangers on Wednesday night to voice their concerns about their boy’s boredom with Royal Rangers.  Now, let me be the first to say that Royal Rangers may not be for everyone, but boredom is not a result of attending a Ranger meeting.

Boredom should never be a test to determine the relevance or effectiveness of a program or ministry.  Boredom is a state of mind that is often pacified by distractions or entertainment.

There is plenty of entertainment in our lives.  So much so that young people have named it as one of the primary reasons they leave the church.

I live close to Disney Worlds and have been there hundreds of time.  It’s the happiest place on earth, and yet you will defiantly see some very unhappy people there.

Meaning is the cure for boredom and devotion nurtures meaning. 

John Eastwood, director of the Boredom Lab at York University believes that boredom is a ‘crisis of meaning.’ It invites us to reflect on how we engage with the world.  Eastwood debunked the misconception that “only boring people get bored.” The Canadian professor found two distinct types of personalities that suffer from boredom, and neither is particularly dull.

The first type of people has an impulsive mindset and are continually looking for new experiences. The world isn’t enough of a rollercoaster — it’s chronically under-stimulating.

The second kind has the opposite problem: the world is a fearful place. They try not to step outside their comfort zone. Their high-sensitivity to pain makes them withdraw. However, they don’t feel satisfied with being comfortable, and chronic boredom takes over.

Being an entrepreneur and an artist means that I have put thousands of hours of work into something without a guaranteed financial reward, but the satisfaction of creating something is meaningful in a way that indulging a thousand cravings can never be.

So how do we create meaning?

Victor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and author of “Man’s Search for Meaning,” said we create meaning three ways: by the people we love, by the way we deal with unavoidable suffering and by the work we do.

People we love.  Love being an action verb.  Dealing with what life throws you.  It’s a choice.  How you work.  Again, your choice.

In order to have meaning and inoculate yourself from boredom you have to embrace the idea of personal responsibility.

Royal Ranges has built in components that bolster devotion and give meaning.  By keeping expectations high, building a camaraderie amongst piers that strive for excellence and position boys into various places of servant leadership Rangers is the opposite of boring.

In Rangers we don’t approach things with a “let’s not make this boring” mentality.  In fact, we never apply a measure of boredom to anything we do.  We strive for life equipping experiences with rich meaningful relationships and encourage our boys to work with determination and devotion in all they do.

What can parents do?

• Don’t give in to the enemies lies about boredom and the need for distraction.
• Always expect great things from your boys. They will rise to the occasion.
• Give your boys responsibilities around the home that requires some personal devotion.
• Help them stay devoted to their school work.
• Find something they enjoy and support their devotion it that.
• Learn the difference between amusement and recreation. Michael Hyatt has a great statement about this.
• Free Play (Podcast E Last Child In The Woods)
• Be careful with self esteem

There is a difference between amusement and recreation. The former leaves us more tired than we started. (Think about your last trip to Disney World.  You probably came back more exhausted than you left?) Yet the latter refreshes us and grounds us.

Recreation involves any activity that gives us the opportunity to express our creativity. For some, it might involve painting, writing, or playing a musical instrument. Something that lets me totally detach from work or school, shift my focus to the present, and reconnect with my heart.

Commanders use the tools Royal Rangers gives you and operated with a devotion to the code.  You will go a long way towards building a strong Outpost, devoted young men, and make boredom a thing of the past.