Have You Found a Hobby?
In Western culture, we often find our days stacked with activity and obligations. We run from one meeting to the next, scurrying home in time to pick up kids for their activities. I’m sure I’m not alone in sometimes finding myself hurriedly eating a salad or sandwich at my desk or skipping meals all together! With as hectic as life can be, cultivating a fulfilling hobby can seem impossible. However, investing in a hobby can greatly benefit your life by making it more interesting and enjoyable, while making you a more well-rounded person.
Author Annie F. Downs says that hobbies “remind us of something beautiful and that good can come from nothing.” Hobbies can be anything from reading to golfing, cooking to tennis. For me, the hobby of sailing has brought immense enrichment to my life, as well as lifelong friends and a great outlet for exercise. Moreover, many of the lessons I learned from racing sailboats with a great team directly impacted the way I approach teamwork at work, making me a better leader!
One thing about sailboat racing is that every boat’s racing crew will make some mistake in every race. There are just so many variables, with wind shifts and placing your boat in a competitive position under the racing rules of sailing to force other boats to yield to your right-of-way. I think one of the reasons we were routinely one of the top finishers, is that we learned to be the fastest to recover from our mistakes rather than bickering at the person who had made the mistake. Our team supported each other through our mistakes, and we each knew that the next mistake may be our own. That learning certainly carried over to the way I led at work, and the culture I tried to instill on my team at work.
Our hobbies can teach us lessons that make us better people. If you are passionate about cooking, you’ve likely learned a thing or two about precision and attention to detail. If you enjoy collecting something like stamps, you’ve developed the skill of patience, persistence and looking beyond the outward appearance to see true value. If you enjoy golf or tennis, you have probably developed some deeper friendships with the people you spend time with in those sports.
In addition to the life skills and lessons we can learn from our hobbies, they provide a much needed respite from the stress of our lives. Those hours on the water on my sailboat do more for my soul than just about anything else, aside from my time in God’s Word. Just a little time honing my sailing skills can sustain me through a stressful work week.
Additionally, my hobby serves as a great motivator to accomplish my obligations. On the days I know I will get to sail, I find myself ticking through my “To-Do” list with much more gusto! And for me, my hobby of sailing even allowed me to spend more time with my family, as my son, my wife, and brother were often part of my sailboat racing team. (The photo above is our racing team in action, with my wife and son on my J/105 sailboat.) We even did bareboat charters for several vacations, with only me and my family serving as captain, navigator, cook, and crew! And my family still tells me those were the best vacations we ever went on together!
If you don’t have a hobby you are pursuing, I encourage you to take the plunge and start one this summer. You may have to try a few before you find one that sticks. Start by trying some things that interest you. You may even find an interest group in your local church or community center. When you find the right fit, you’ll find yourself looking forward to the next time you can participate in your hobby. You’ll likely also want to talk about it a lot — which is why those interest groups are so great. I have found a lot of joy introducing new friends to sailing, or spending time out on the water with friends and family.
Remember, enjoying your hobby doesn’t mean you have to be the best. If you happen to stumble upon something you’re naturally gifted at, fantastic. But, some of the most passionate golfers I know are not headed to the PGA tour any time soon. Just find something that brings you joy and makes you a better person!
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