A post for those who can afford to pursue their hobbies and passions.
As I continue to read a lot of non-fiction in what would loosely be described as the wellness & health genre, I’ve started to wonder about the energy and dedication we direct towards our passions and hobbies in comparison to looking after ourselves/our well-being. This short post poses some perspectives that have been percolating in my mind lately. My hope is that at least one or two of you who read this will also start thinking about taking care of ourselves in a different light.
Let’s touch on a couple of passions/hobbies that are common. Take cars, motorcycles, and boats; many of us are passionate about these possessions – we pour time, money, and energy into them – and we go to great lengths to learn more about them and to ensure they are pampered. We wash/clean them regularly (inside and out), we undertake regular preventative maintenance, and we feed them with the best possible fuels and fluids. Next, think about entertainment – how we choose to spend our time and money (e.g., travel, restaurants, events) – and all the time and energy we devote in the hopes of experiences that bring us joy and satisfaction. We read and research what’s trending and popular and then we choose to spend our time and money in these areas.
The examples above may not apply to you personally but there are many others in which we direct our time, energy, and money…maybe it’s your personal sense of style (e.g., your clothing, hair and overall appearance), perhaps it a passion for collecting (think wine, sports memorabilia, art, tattoos), or possibly it’s even social media use, such as curating and promoting a specific brand online, or consuming (and sharing) many posts that fit your own personal political and cultural perspective. Regardless, we all have our own set of unique interests, passions, and hobbies in which we are choosing to devote a portion of our limited time and resources.
Now instead of passions and hobbies, like the few examples noted above, let’s think about our overall health and well-being. If we as adults were to play the game “Let’s Pretend” and use the car example above, how well are we taking care of ourselves versus our car. How much time and energy do we spend learning what’s best for us in terms what we eat and drink (our fuels and fluids)? Do we seek out knowledge about how to best maintain our physical and emotional health? Or, if we are like a car that’s not running well, do we make the efforts to learn how to give our lifestyle a tune up and to apply ongoing preventative maintenance (think walking, stretching, simple exercises, sleep, nutrition)?
If we avoid learning about how to improve or maintain our health and wellness, why is that? This question is simple, but the answers may range from the straightforward to the highly-complex; you may simply find that taking care of your health is boring or takes too much effort, or it could be that you’re dealing with more complex factors that require professional guidance to help you find healing (physical or emotional). Regardless of your unique situation, my hope is that, if you are not pondering this question you might now start.
Thanks again for taking the time to read this post and I hope that some of you now have a different perspective on how and why you choose to devote your time and resources.
Coffee and Karma 