What is a hobby? And why is it important to have one? One of the things I have been learning is that in order to find yourself, you need to find something you enjoy doing daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and for life. This enjoyment must be something that will help you unplug from the world, not cause you stress, physically or financially, and bring you a sense of self-identity.
I know most of you know what a hobby is, but I like to use the dictionary to give the definition I will be referring to. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a hobby is a pursuit outside one’s regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation.
Relaxation? Really? Why do we need to relax? Life gives us plenty of opportunities to relax without having to do something else right?(sarcastic tone) I thought the same thing too. Ha, we all know that is not true. Life fills us with stress and frustration, with sometimes no time to breathe. What I realized is that, in order to actually relax, you need to find something higher than your personal status quo. Yes, you have your own personal status quo. The quo is referred to as a routine, or like Barney Stinson would say, “rutine.” We all like to stick to the same rut/routine because it feels comfortable, or we are just complacent to our current life cycle. In order to break that cycle you must do what the definition implies, that is to do something outside of one’s regular routine(paraphrased to make a point). Let me start off by stating the fact, sitting and watching TV doesn’t count as a hobby because it is just a filler. What do I mean by a filler? Its something to put in between your routine, like while cooking, cleaning, doing homework, or even before bedtime. No no, you need to find something that will require you to unplug from this routine. This way, it gives you time to let it all go, frustration, stress, depression, or any negative emotions of the day. Let it all pass to the past, and get mentally recharged for the next day. Always remember why you are motivated (previous blog), and focus and prepare to face a new day with its new challenges.
However, finding your hobby is not easy. It requires a lot of dedication and even some trial and error, because you may think you enjoy one thing, and realize that it is not as fun or relaxing as you thought. So, you must focus on finding what you really like. The hobby cannot bring you any further stress. You must choose something that will not take you out of your budget and bring you further into debt, and it must not cause you to strain yourself physically where in the end it is no longer joyful but frustrating and painful. This requires you to remove the thought of wanting to be perfect, or the idea of trying to impress others with your hobby. This is not to impress anyone else and it is not to be done perfect. So, to all my perfect seeking friends, this is the time you need to learn to let go. We are not perfect, and most times we don’t start off skillfully inclined in our hobby, but as we find the joy in it, your skills will progress and it will all come out the way you desire. Remember, the main purpose is to remove yourself from the world, it may not be perfect, but as long as you enjoy it and don’t add more stress to it, it will be enough.
Which brings me to my last point, the main reason of having a hobby…is to find who you are. We go out to a world that focuses on wanting us to not be individuals, but to be part of the crowd, which can bring us to lose our self-identity. Losing your self-identity can cause you to lose motivation, and as I discussed in my previous blog, can cause you to lose all hope and purpose in life. That is something I struggled with, and I don’t want anyone to go through the same thing. That is why a hobby is important. It is not just about unplugging from the world and relaxing, but it is doing something that you enjoy, and that defines who you are; and that self-identity makes you courageous, brave, strong, determined and enthusiastic, different. And in this world, it is okay to be different.
What is my hobby? The one thing that has kept and still keeps me sane in a world full of craziness, is music. It is the one thing that touched my soul when I was young and has always been a big part of my life. I know which songs to play when I am happy, sad, thinking, angry, working out, at a party and any occasion. I haven’t gotten to the point of creating my own songs yet, but that is my next step. Like I said, we don’t start off perfect, but with time will get to a point where I make songs that will make an impact in the world. I love to sing, and love to play my ukulele. I have done two covers already and soon will partake on the 52 week challenge, which consists of one cover per week. This will help me get out of my comfort zone and with practice become better. I’m excited and am glad I found what makes me, me.
I invite you all to take the time to meditate and find your hobby. Once you do, you will quickly find yourself and there will be no stopping you achieving anything in this world.
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