There is a common issue that many face on an almost daily basis today: boredom. I see this with people going to school and college, but it remains with adults as well. Let’s not forget boredom’s good buddies: frustration and irritation, among others.

All three of these are basically an expression of resistance to our arising experience. The arising experience is perfect in nature, however the mind content consisting of various thoughts that is overlaid upon it suggests otherwise. It could be sitting through a long class, holding a crying child on a flight or perhaps waiting in a long line at the post office or sitting in traffic. First we need to notice that the boredom, frustration or irritation etc. is in most cases coming from our thought content, or at least our concept of what should be happening right now.

In some cases, it could be a useful call to action. Maybe you need to do something different than what you are doing at the moment. But in most cases, you are probably doing something that you either can’t get out of or maybe have even signed up for yourself in some way. Take a moment to contemplate and remember some situations that have been like this in your own life.

Now, when you are in this situation or bring up a situation like this in your memory and experience that feeling, inquire: Is the part of me that enjoys experiences here with me now? Is the aspect of my awareness, a beautiful core attribute of my own awareness that is enjoyment itself…is that still here with me or has it gone? When I am enjoying anything at all, whether it is my favorite music, a delicious meal, shopping, maybe playing a favorite video game etc., that enjoyment is happening within me. I alone am enjoying it. The essence of that happiness and enjoyment is fundamentally in me alone. That is joy. Now that I am in a boring or irritating situation, has that awareness that was joyful and happy and the awareness that is experiencing boredom different or the same?

Simply by inquiring into this, something will happen. Something will shift. We know this because the feeling of boredom, frustation, etc. is only coming and going within our awareness and is mostly due to thoughts we are clinging to of either not wanting to experience something or wishing we were doing something else. When that compulsion is challenged via this specific inquiry, immediately the Source Awareness that is consisting of simple Presence, Peace, Joy and Freedom is available and is glad to reveal itself.

Try it and let me know how it goes. 🙂

P.S. If you haven’t caught up on my Youtube videos in a while, which have a several on Music and Realization, check them out here.