I’ve been processing this idea quite a bit lately. The idea of what makes us happy and the paths we are suppose to choose along the way. I spoke a lot about time and how we view our lives from past to present and wondering into the future here https://byronmcleod.wordpress.com/2019/11/04/finding-time/.
But I want to focus on hobbies in this post.
I have always been a big proprietor of the idea that we should not have to choose our life’s course when we are young. The idea of knowing who we are in our teen years is absurd, and having been an educator for about 6 years I have witnessed young adults grow and discover new things about themselves. I have seen the pressure placed on students to decide the rest of their lives. I have seen the system pushing them into making decisions that will affect the rest of their lives when they have only been on this planet for what would hopefully be a fraction of their entire lives seems illogical to me.
I can recall having almost no clue on what I wanted to do when I grew up. Even to this day I still wonder what the future holds and what’s in store for me?
Will I still be teaching?
Will I still be the same man I am today?
Will I care about the same things?
Will I laugh at the same jokes?
Will I be kind?
Will I be patient?
Will I be me?
These thoughts bombard my stream of consciousness, in and out of my head as I amble my way through this wondrous world.
But having lived just a little, I have found some truths along the way, that I thought I would share:
Don’t figure out what you want to be or what you want to do.
Start smaller. Start with the simple things.
Look at your life from day to day and think about what you like to do? Do you read? Do you write? Do you paint or perhaps play video games? Are you a movie buff or a top ten YouTube binging fanatic?
This is where you start.
What I think we don’t realize when we are younger is that what we are interested in is often the best place to pour our focus into. And it makes sense doesn’t it? Why would you choose to do engineering if on weekends you are reliving quote by quote famous lines from Fight Club with your friends?
This is not to say you have to choose what you want to do based solely on your hobbies or interests. But I, having gone down the path of interacting with the interests I had when I was younger today, can tell you that I have never not been interested in the work I do day to day. And I think that’s pretty wonderful.
Now my second piece of advice:
What you choose to do with your time is your choice. As we grow up we get fed this concept that a hobby is only worth doing if we can get something out of it? We live in this media-sharing, internet driven utopia where everything you could ever want is at our finger tips ala: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BneeJTDcU&ab_channel=boburnham
And eventually we start to compare ourselves to those we see on the web. And I think this is sad. How many people have quit something they wanted to try just because they weren’t able to get famous from it, or be as good as the internet shows them they could be?
So can you do something for me dear, Reader?
Try something for yourself and don’t worry about those around you.
Hobbies will always be for ourselves.
New hobbies are usually started in our free time.
Free time.
The time we choose to spend on things we find interesting. The things that encapsulate the idea of being free.
And hey if you do somehow get good enough to be famous, or get something out of it that’s more than just enjoyment then great for you.
The point I want to get across is that it’s not about others. Hobbies are for US.
So the next time someone asks you what you want to do for your future? Don’t panic. Take a deep breath and tell them you have a whole life to figure it out.
And hey, while you’re figuring that stuff out, you always have your hobbies to keep you happy from day to day right?
Milkshake Thoughts 