How To Deal with Boredom and Apathy

Here's a question I got in an email last week:Hi, GuruMeher. I'm curious. I've noticed that the dominant thing I'm  feeling today seems to be "boredom." But I don't think boredom is an emotion. How can I dig deeper and find the emotion?I'm sure a lot of you feel this way sometimes. You're not exactly sad or discouraged, but you feel uninspired by life.  This concerns you because you believe that you should feel more joyful, engaged and excited by things.  I understand.Boredom isn't an actual emotion so to speak. Boredom could be more classified as an energy.  It's is a slow, inward reaching vibration that has elements of apathy (commonly called Depression), sadness (Grief) and inadequacy (Fear). Unaddressed, boredom can progress into actual Depression.   However, on it's own, boredom is actually quire useful!When approached with awareness, Boredom leads to Peace.I spent years working with a coach to help me with what I like to term a "raging workaholic" problem. After a working together for some time, we were successful in reducing my workload and "unhooking" from the subconscious drivers of my need to work endlessly.  It felt great!  But then came the day I felt bored."Boredom is the Gatekeeper of Peace," the coach had said.  That notion made no sense to me at the time. Feeling bored was scary.  What if I never achieved anything again?  I'd been so amped in my workaholic mode that this neutral energy I was now living in felt dangerous.  I was tempted to throw out all the progress I had made and go back to my old ways.  But I decided to try this idea of Boredom leading to Peace and see where it took me. It worked out!When I allowed Boredom to become Peace, I got comfortable moving more slowly. The feeling boredom actually lead me to deep clarity about what was most important to me and how I really wanted to spend my time. Tasks became manageable and I was even able to accomplish more than I had before. In place of adrenaline rushes, I began to experience tranquil satisfaction.Now you may come to boredom through another story such as a lack of meaningful purpose, unachieved dreams, delayed fulfillment, or an unclear or blocked path, to name a few.  The key is not to fear this state as something wrong, but accept it.  Not every day is a carnival.  But if you can stay neutral and calm during these "bored periods" you too can experience a deeper more complete kind of satisfaction, one that has true meaning for you.  So, I say, "Fear not Boredom; make it your friend!"