Hello my dear friends! How are you doing today? I have been thinking about this topic for a long time. It is something that I have been thinking about for a long time. In this fast paced world, when everyone is already busy and always has a million things to do every single day, where is the time to pursue a hobby? Is it really necessary or an additional burden? How in the world is it possible to take the time out to do something which is not your core responsibilities? Are hobbies only for the people with ample time in their hands? What’s your take on it? I have said this countless times on my show. I have been working in the software industry for more than 15 years and I always had a pretty stable but extremely high pressure work environment from the beginning. I love my work, it gives me the immense pleasure to work on challenging tasks. It gives me the sense of accomplishment but, yeah you know it, what’s coming next. I always felt something was missing. I was searching for that unknown thing for a long time. No amount of shopping, binging TV, eating ice cream gave me that complete, content feeling. But when I finally looked inward and searched for something more, something extra, I found all my answers in one thing. Somehow I lost it in the rush of my daily responsibilities. I knew how much I loved that one thing, how much I held it dearly for a long time. But I lost touch, I lost my way and I was searching everywhere to find that missing piece. But ultimately I found it within me. It was always there , trying to tell me to hold its hand and bring it out, shower some love on it and cherish it forever. Do you know what that one thing is? It was my hobby, my passion. It was my love for writing, my love for speaking in public forums. Somehow, I lost touch with my happiest place. You know, as we call it, life happened. But let me tell you from my personal experience, the joy and contentment I got from the moment I rekindled with my hobby is just beyond words. Ever since I found my source of happiness in my hobby, I had this subject on my mind but again, life happened and other subjects took priority and this one left behind for many many months. But now, I think it is the best time for me to talk about it and help you find your hidden hobby, your hidden talent, your hidden passion. In this busy life, routine and hectic chores take a toll. You get so busy in your daily, mundane tasks that hobbies and passion are the last things on your mind. Am I right? Hobbies don’t help you pay the bills, hobbies don’t put a plate on your table, then do you really need a hobby? I will still hold my ground here, you absolutely need a hobby. Money provides you with your living but hobbies teach you how to live. You absolutely need a hobby if you want to live a happy, joyful life, having a hobby is a must. But if you are still not convinced, here are some more reasons why you need a hobby.
Reason 1 : Stress -
If somebody asks you to define the meaning of a hobby, what will you say? It is the activity that you genuinely love. Now, tell me when you do something that you genuinely, wholeheartedly love, won’t you feel the most relaxed? Hobbies work as the stress buster. Just imagine a rough day at the office. You have been working non stop for an entire day. You had meetings after meetings, dealt with escalations, conflicts and put off the fires at your workplace . Finally, you are home after the most tiring day of your week. Finally, you can take your mind off all the worries. Let’s say, you now head on to your dance class or working on your garden, where you are not putting off fires instead your mind is relaxed, you are doing something that you absolutely love. Your mind is at peace. Just try to hold on to that feeling and tell me how you feel. Are you feeling relaxed? Are you feeling stress free? Your hobby keeps you engaged in something that you really enjoy. Just be careful about the difference between a hobby and an interest. Watching TV mindlessly may seem like an interesting idea at the time but going to a dance class is much more fulfilling. Interest captures your attention for a very short span but a hobby is much more than a mere interest.
Reason 2 : Makes you more patient -
You won’t believe it but hobbies can instill more patience in you. I am not a very patient person. New ideas suck me in and I get so driven by those new ideas that I sometimes start focusing on results rather than the progress I make. But let me tell you one thing honestly. Having a hobby that I absolutely love has grounded me, centered me more, and made me much more patient. Since I started pursuing my lost hobby after a long time and since the language, the podcasting medium was new to me, I had to learn a lot of new skills to keep on pursuing my hobby. I had to learn a brand new skill to start podcasting. I had a huge learning curve. Till date, I am learning something new with every single episode. The process of learning definitely taught me patience. In order to develop a new hobby, you have to learn how to do something that is brand new to you.
Reason 3 : Confidence and Self-esteem
Finally, pursuing a hobby adds a new dimension to your identity. It adds layers to your identity, richness to your self-concept. People want to be around those with passions, with a sense of curiosity, with stories to tell. Hobbies present you with so many rich experiences that you not only feel more inspired, but you will inspire others as well. Hobbies give you a sense of purpose, a sense of accomplishment. There is no age limit to pursue your hobby. One of my friend’s mom started learning classical music at the age of 65 and I can see the joy, the fulfillment on her face every time I see her singing. I see how her eyes just lit up when she even talks about music. Hobbies do wonders for your self-esteem. You start taking pride in your accomplishments. Just imagine a life so rich with all your experiences, accomplishments. Hobbies shape your personality. Interests can turn into a hobby and a hobby can turn into a passion. Passion for something that you deeply care about is the most important thing that you will need to become happy and content at the same time.
But, you might say, alright, alright, we got your point that hobbies are important but what if I don’t have any hobbies? What should I do? Tell me something, do you like window shopping? I hope most of you do like window shopping. Finding a hobby is just like window shopping. Relax and let your mind wander, try to think of a few things that interest you. Anything that you might be interested in trying. Why not give them a try and see if you like them. Not interested in window shopping? Okay for those who don’t like window shopping, how about talking to your inner child? Think of activities that you used to like as a child, as a carefree 8 year old. Why don’t you give them a try again? Too silly? Too basic? It is okay as long as it brings you joy. At least try them out, maybe you will find something that you love, something that interests you, something that you are passionate about. Do you think you can give it a try this week? I would love to hear from you if you find any lost hobbies.
I know, I can hear your next question. I can hear loud and clear from you, Madhura, I know hobbies are great and I might have some interest that can turn into hobbies but I just don’t have time to pursue them in this season of my life. I am just too busy to start anything new. Do you know, I was in the same boat for a long time? I had been convincing myself for too long that I am too busy to do anything for myself. There are several ways to find that pocket of time to pursue your hobby. I have created several episodes about scheduling, productivity, time blocking and what not. But the core of all those episodes lies in one simple principle. If you love something truly, honestly, you will find time for it. I want to give one simple tip, just for this week, keep an eye on your phone usage. See how much time you spend scrolling Facebook, instagram, and other social media sites. Can you cut down that time just by 10 minutes and use those 10 minutes for something that you love the most. Pick the time that you think is the best for you, where you feel most refreshed, most relaxed at least when you are beginning your journey and make sure you spend those 10 minutes pursuing your hobby. Love singing, practice it for 10 minutes at least, used to play harmonium in school days? find that harmonium, clean off the dust and practice at least for 10 minutes. Used to paint in college?find those lost canvas and brushes and create something . Just one simple change and see the difference in a week. This podcast is all about simple steps, Remember? day by day step by step. That is our mantra. So, keep going, don’t judge yourself , don’t criticize yourself and especially don’t blame yourself for not starting this sooner because, there is no self criticism in this journey. Hobbies and passions make your life beautiful. It makes the world around you beautiful. Creative minds are nurtured by a hobby. Hobbies give you purpose to cherish every single day of your life. Life is beautiful when you have a content and happy mind, don’t you agree?
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