When you’re bored, all you want is something to do. When you’re busy, all you want to do is unwind.
The human mind is a neferious contraption.
I’ve been stuck in that cycle of boredom/busyness for most of my life. I’ll rotate from a full plate to table scraps, feast to famine, on a weekly basis.
I blame it all on my bad brain chemistry. One half of my grey matter always wants to do something. It wants to get out in the world, meet people, create stuff, and get tagged in Facebook posts. It wants to be as sociable as an Oscar Wilde character.
But, once I’m out and about, the other half of my brain steps in. And it’s about as active as my family after a turkey dinner. It wants me to curl up in bed, order a pizza, and watch the entirety of Marvel’s Punisher series. It wants nothing on my plate. It would rather watch paint dry than get out and do stuff. It’s the Jim Belushi to my active brain part’s John Belushi (I think that reference makes sense).
Like the good doctor Jekyll being tempted into the dark side by Mr. Hyde, I find myself at war with these two conflicting viewpoints.
Recently, I joined Paper Bag Players for their upcoming theatre production (tickets still available). Naturally, it’s been a blast. Theatre is an excellent way to meet new people and it’s a wonderful creative outlet. The active part of my brain loves it.
But theatre is a lot of hard work. Good plays don’t just spring out of the earth. Rehearsals require dedication and time. That’s where the lazy part of my brain wants me to crawl back into bed.
Sometimes it’s a struggle to overcome that inherent laziness and get down to business. Even when you’re madly passionate about a project, it can be difficult to defeat your own aversion to work.
But I think that’s the key to making something worthwhile. Only when you have to overcome your apathy and laziness can you do something that matters to you. The struggle is the key to fulfillment.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, this article was a lot of work, so I’m going to catch up with a Punisher episode. Or two. Or five.
