DR. WALLACE: I'm seeking to elevate my horizons and broaden my perspectives. I'm a 17-year-old male high school student, and my father always tells me that I'm lazy and don't take my life seriously. I'll admit that I'm a creature of habit, and some of my habits are maybe not the best in terms of preparing me for my inevitable future.

Without lecturing me, can you give me some encouragement as to how this video-gaming habitual procrastinator can snap out of the malaise he's presently in? — I Need a New Game Plan, via email

I NEED A NEW GAME PLAN: A very famous man several centuries ago said that learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, fears or regrets. Yes, Mr. Leonardo da Vinci was the ultimate "Renaissance man," and he painted the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper," but he is also the author of this quote regarding learning. Not only is it true, but it's beyond profound, and its meaning and guidance still ring true here in the 21st century.

What does this mean for you as you seek to extract yourself from your habitual video game world? I feel he is telling you to find some fields of study that you find interesting, then to do your best to drum up some core intellectual curiosity about these topics that resonate with you.

This won't happen overnight, and you won't pivot on a dime and suddenly sprint in a direction that you find euphoric, but I trust that if you truly seek to learn in areas you enjoy, momentum will soon build, and you'll be in control of a journey you will find satisfying in various ways.

I trust your father will also appreciate this, but don't do it for him as much as you are doing it for yourself. Remember that, and let learning and intellectual curiosity be your guide, starting right now. Hopefully, you'll find yourself gradually electing to spend more time satisfying your intellectual itches rather than your desire to play one more round of video games. It doesn't mean that you can't do both, but wouldn't your life be changed dramatically if your gaming was only done occasionally, as a reward and respite for yourself from your deep intellectual pursuits about things that interest you?

I'M SUDDENLY INTERESTED IN PICKING UP AN INSTRUMENT

DR. WALLACE: I'm a guy who is a college student and just turned 20. My friends and I love hanging out in clubs and especially watching live music when we're not studying or working at our part-time jobs.

I really admire the musicians onstage and think it's so cool to be able to play an instrument publicly in a band or group. Lately, I've been thinking about picking out an instrument and trying it out, but out of my four best friends, only two are encouraging me, whereas the other two are telling me that I'm literally wasting my time.

Do you think it's worth dabbling with an instrument at my age, given my lack of experience? I should mention that I have a very busy life already, so I know upfront that I'll only have a limited amount of time to focus on playing a new instrument. — I'm Intrigued and Open to It, via email

I'M INTRIGUED AND OPEN TO IT: By all means, I encourage every single individual of any age who has an interest in picking up a musical instrument to go ahead and give it a try, even casually for a short period of time.

You don't have to have great expectations of becoming a full-time musician to enjoy playing an instrument for your own benefit. Learning a new instrument and playing music, even haltingly, on your own is relaxing, challenging and enriching as you start to make a few steps in the right direction musically.

The beauty of a musical instrument is that you can pick it up and put it down at any time. Life in 2026 goes by at warp speed, so slowing down and engaging a musical instrument as a form of rest and relaxation is a good thing. The same holds true for those who have an interest in taking an art class. The relaxation, satisfaction and enrichment can be quite beneficial there as well, and every individual can choose to put as much or as little time into music or the arts as their individual lives permit and allow.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Habib Dadkhah at Unsplash