“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are
for.” – William G.T. Shedd
Television
is a formidable opponent, and it is one of humankind’s sneakiest enemies today.
Untold numbers of hours are spent by people every day starting at an electronic
box, watching images of other people participating in their life. With more
cable channels than ever, it is quite possible to click on the old idiot box
and “tune in” to watch people in all sorts of situations: a bunch of strangers
living in a house together (we call this entertainment?); a group of people
living on an island, attempting to survive (with film crews close by, of
course); “celebrity news” type programs, which catch us up on the latest
Hollywood gossip (who cares?); and my personal favorite topping the list would
have to be the “police” type shows, in which millions of viewers can sit
comfortably in their favorite chairs, sipping a cold beverage, all while
watching complete strangers at possibly the worst moments of their lives. I
have always found the “police” genre of programming to be a real indication of
humanity today. We take pleasure – we even call it entertainment – to watch other people suffer. Watching women get
beaten, children taken from their drug-abusing parents, gang members shooting
at one another, and homeless individuals getting harassed for being homeless.
It is all too easy to sit in the comfort of our own homes, eyes glued to the
newest sixty-inch flat screen T.V., and watch life happen.
The lives we
live have become too safe. Watching too much T.V. is not tuning in, it is actually tuning
out. We have become a sedentary, complacent society. We have become too
dependent on media to provide us thrills and adventure in life. It is a sad
reality, but one that is true. Life
begins right outside your comfort zone. Those seven little words are game
changers. Do you like to travel? What about instead of watching endless hours
of travel programming on T.V., you took a trip? Don’t have the money? Why not
start small? You could go explore a town near your home, learn about its
history, and maybe even chat with the locals. Do you like to cook? Or would you
like to know how to cook? What if,
instead of watching show after cooking show, you found a recipe and tried
preparing it as a surprise to your spouse or best friend? Have you ever seen
the countless “get ripped, get buff, lose fifty pounds in thirty days” commercials?
What if, instead of watching other people exercise, you got up off your comfortable
couch and got moving? Not next week, not as a New Year’s resolution, but TODAY.
If you have become bored in life, it is because you have become too
comfortable. If you do not like the way you feel, do something different. All
you must do is begin.
CHANGE STARTS HERE.
