During this shelter-in-place, stay-at-home quarantine, many people are bored. I feel out of place because I've not been experiencing that. I’ve been productive throughout this quarantine season so far. I don't often get bored because I usually have something on my plate. I typically have a long list of things that I want to accomplish.

I think one of the things that people are having a hard time with is their purpose. Author Victor Frankl had a couple ideas about this. He said, “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” He also said, “When we are no longer able to change the situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” Both thoughts convey the idea that it’s not the circumstances we should focus on but ourselves.

Boredom can help us find new meaning and purpose

This time of quarantine has forced us to slow down and consider ourselves. The problem that people have, at least in the adult world, is that their identity and purpose has become entangled with their job. That's not to say that your job can't have meaning and purpose, but when that becomes the sole source of your identity, it can take over and leave you without purpose.

Many of us are having to deal with that right now, but the beautiful thing about boredom is that boredom can be a catalyst for creativity. It's very possible that through this pandemic, with people working from home or getting laid off from their jobs, we will see a beautiful Renaissance emerge where people are pushed into being creative with their skills.

We can't change our circumstances, but we can change ourselves and our outlook. Maybe you're struggling for purpose and identity right now. Maybe not being at your job or not being at school has left you feeling bored, purposeless, and aimless. Fill that void. Create.

What can you do to create something new to add to the world? How can you take skills that may not be in use at the moment and do something creative and innovative with them?