So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
― 1 Corinthians 10:31
So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better
for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.
― Ecclesiastes 8:15
Try new hobbies. Develop new interests. Pursue new experiences. When you
expand your interests, you increase your opportunities for happiness.
― Richelle E. Goodrich
Hobbies are great distractions from the worries and troubles that plague daily living.
― Bill Malone
Dear Munchkins,
“Go fly a kite” used to be how we old-timers would tell others to get lost, buzz off, and leave us alone. I say “Go fly a kite” to encourage you to get yourself some hobbies so your life can soar.
Merriam-Webster defines a hobby as “a pursuit outside one’s regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation.”
That sounds about right. If it is, then I want to encourage you to make sure to have a hobby or two when you’re an adult.
Right now, your life is nothing but one big hobby because you don’t have an occupation (other than driving all of us crazy and making us laugh). Enjoy that while you can, because once you have a profession, marry, and have kiddos, your free time is going to be more limited and you’re going to have to be careful not to let hobbies slip away.
When I was your age, my favorite hobbies were building model cars and airplanes, fiddling around with a telescope, riding my bike, making things with my chemistry set (that didn’t catch the house on fire), and reading. Now that I’m an old fart, I love yard work, playing golf, irritating you grandkids, watching movies, and listening to music. I’m thankful for how these hobbies along the way have helped me keep my sanity and brought some happiness to my life.
First, a list of the positive effects of having a hobby. Here are 20 ways that hobbies can benefit you:
*Make you more interesting
*Promote mindfulness and staying present
*Improve your confidence and self-esteem
*Can provide additional income
*Relieve stress (unless you get too obsessive and compulsive about it)
*Help you give back to the world you live in
*Promote good stress (called “eustress”)
*Transition you to retirement
*Enable you to explore yourself and your talents
*Encourage you to take a break
*Help you become more patient
*Help ward off depression
*Prevent you from wasting time and developing bad habits (unless your hobby is a bad habit)
*Can help you be better at your job
*Allow you to meet new people
*Help keep you physically healthy
*Strengthen your relationship with others
*Enrich your perspective
*Help you sleep better
*Improve your memory (chess, for example)
Second, here are 20 hobbies that could make your life better and more enriched:
*Hiking
*Reading
*Crafting
*Owning a pet
*Playing a musical instrument
*Learning a language
*Sculpture
*Chess
*Horseback riding
*Cooking
*Gardening
*Sports (running, golf, tennis, pickle board, swimming, skiing)
*Writing
*Meditation
*Online classes
*Martial arts
*Juggling
*Dancing
*Woodwork
*Bodybuilding
Right now, no one has to tell you to develop any hobbies because you have a hundred of them. Down the road, I want you to make sure you hang on to hobbies that you enjoy and that make your life richer and fuller.
Dale Carnegie put it this way, “Today is life – the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto.”
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