Most people have had a busy year with school or work or both! Long hours of studying for exams, finishing assignments, and waiting for results have all taken their toll on people’s health and well-being.

It’s time to have a change and do things you enjoy. At the same time it is time to be careful that you do not just slump in front of the television and let your mind completely switch off.

Many times young people sit for hours in front of the television and then yawn and complain that they feel bored! Long hours passively watching other people live their lives soaks up your creativity, interest, and sociability.

Feeling bored is a horrible feeling especially when the people do not know what they want to do. Years of being in the habit of watching a lot of television or playing a lot of computer games has denied young people the right to explore various interests and hobbies.

How can a person feel bored when there is sport, arts, crafts, skills to be learned, things to share, and people to meet? In many countries around the world such opportunities exist for young people to use their time in constructive ways—in activities where they are involved in making or doing something and seeing the changes take place.

But when young people get used to being passive, it becomes difficult to switch their brain over to being active and creative.

What is necessary is balance in your life. Every day do something for your body (exercise, sports and so on), for your mind (learn something new), for your spirit (keep up your prayer and read Qur’an), and for someone else.

A young man of about 17 years of age had been almost addicted to television and computer. For some reason his parents did not want him to go out and play sports, but they ended up being sorry because this teenager began to get very frustrated and nervous and began making a lot of problems at home. They asked me if I could do something to help him and help make up for the mistakes they had made keeping him at home in front of the screen. So after some thought, I took him to the school for the blind in our area.

The sight of these young people in the blind school touched his heart. He is a kind and sensitive young man and just needed to see a bit of life to come to life himself. Each one of the blind students had learned to read and write using Braille. They could do many things for themselves and were quite self-confident. When this young man sat, talked, and laughed with them, I could see a change coming over him. He was starting to see the real world. And he was starting to see his part in it.

The blind students were taught to memorize the Qur’an, and every day volunteers would come and read to them from newspapers, articles on the Internet, and anything of interest. One particular woman who was affiliated with the blind school was married with four children, even though she was blind. My friend watched her as she combed her daughter’s hair so perfectly. She can cook and take care of most things in the house. Her children help her and she is always smiling and always busy. Such people are special and serve to inspire those of us who, for some reason, say we are bored, despite the fact that we have good health and opportunities. This lady also does counseling for youth! She is a marvel.

Such experiences awaken our hearts and put our own lives into context. We get to see how fortunate we are and perhaps we also, like this young man, are wasting the many abilities and opportunities we have been granted.

He began to visit the blind school regularly and made some good friends. He found that when Allah takes away something from His servants (sight) He grants them something else. He found that the students at the blind school had minds that were extremely keen, easy and willing to learn, with a deep interest in everything around them. He began to see his own shallowness and when he acknowledged that, he started to grow.

Now he has finished his education and is a qualified physical education teacher. He teaches at a blind school and also organizes summer programs for young people who say they are bored!