Thursday, January 05, 2012

Everybody ought to have a hobby

I endorse this notion.

I used to think of a hobby as some kind of fun that is more permissible than other forms of play because it somehow builds character so it is encouraged.  So basically having a hobby, a REAL hobby, was the best way to have fun.

Unfortunately, my hobby was playing.  Not a musical instrument- just playing.  So the idea that my uncle's "train room" was his form of play, and my dad's watching of judge judy was his, and brother's video games as his, made all of these perfectly acceptable hobbies because they relieved stress and added a little spice of life to the routine.

The hobby of "play" isn't a very good one.  The fun is always fleeting instead of creating, and in the end you don't have anything to show for it.   "Making" hobbies are a new discovery for me.  I met a few people in sales and business that I could tell were doing their hobbies for a living, which was an accomplishment I usually attributed to successful artists.  I began to make the connection between loving to work and success.

But loving to work is hard when you don't love to work.

I feel that I've found my magic hobby in psychology and being able to line up my hobby and career will make me as proud as any accomplishment.

I do still love to play.