16 Comments
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Sophie S.'s avatar

Lovely to learn a bit more about your story. I'm a millennial too, so I can also relate to your descriptions of our generation 😊

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Marie Vandoorne's avatar

Thanks Sophie 🧡

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Bryan Dijkhuizen's avatar

it’s so relatable. The part about discovering writing as your flow state really is.

Something so simple can feel like such a relief when you finally find it.

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Marie Vandoorne's avatar

So true Bryan!! Thanks!

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John Malkovich's avatar

Hey Marie, I found your blog through Danique’s substack (she is my wife) and just wanted to say—I really liked this article. We also changed careers a few years ago and your burnout-by-boredom starting on day one story is quite relatable as well 🙈

It reminded me of The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter. He says boredom isn’t the enemy—it’s the space where your brain breathes. Its now considered a sin to be bored and we try to kill it with noise and distractions, but it used to be a compass to look deeper within ourselves. Sometimes you’re just too awake to keep playing the game, and boredom’s the signal. The friction that tells you there’s something deeper you’re meant for.

And in your case, writing clearly is that thing. 😸

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Marie Vandoorne's avatar

Hey John!! Thank you so much for leaving this super nice comment! I remember reading a post from Danique about boredom and relating so hard! Say hi ti her from me 😁

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Quin Halloway's avatar

Maybe each person could write a question for the next person in the chain to answer.

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Gary Coulton's avatar

Marie, what can I say? We have followed remarkably similar life paths and I know we are not alone.

Good Boy, high achiever, academic career, executive coach, now writer. I’m 68.

Boredom? Not so much as my ADHD traits don’t allow that, but a dulling through overwhelm, YES! Edged close to suicide in my twenties, YES. Lived on, YES!.

By the time I reached 65, I knew I was neurodivergent, and now I’m happy and never bored.

My catharsis came when I published every little nook and cranny of my colourful life story in a memoir.

I recommend writing one. Your post is brilliant. I’m sure there’s so much more to share and learn from.

Your life and experiences are like a mirror for others to view reflections of themselves.

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Marie Vandoorne's avatar

So nice to read your comment Gary! Writing everything down here every week feels already like a kind of memoir! It helps to put everything into perspective

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Sam DeLuca's avatar

Kinda thought I was reading my own experience except I found a job where no day resembles the others... So maybe that's how I manage to not get bored. Loved the friendship book idea, just signed in 🤩

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Marie Vandoorne's avatar

Ooh so glad I’m not alone in this! Now I just have to find that kind of job 😁😁 gonna come back to you on the friendship book soon!

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Daniel Evensen's avatar

This is a great idea! Love the origin story, too.

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Ice Cold's avatar

MV what’s written is what our society is built on that we slowly undoing think about how many art of war book readers out there through the timeline built on that mentality for power over others the subs to

the doms I’m just think tanking

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Ice Cold's avatar

X and Millennials go together

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Ice Cold's avatar

Some juices gets you writing on

Good MV. .

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Apr 29
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Marie Vandoorne's avatar

Thank you Jarod! Means a lot!

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