What's So Special About a Hobby?

I've recently discovered that when you spend more time focusing and investing in something you love-something that brings you pleasure-- You spend less time worrying about everyone else.  Less time to worry what they think about you.  Less interest in wondering how you stack up against the crowd.  Less time is spent judging and criticizing their faults- just so you can avoid you own.  You get the idea.

Let me describe how I arrived at this very eye-opening conjecture.  I found a hobby.

hob·by/ˈhäbē/

Noun:

An activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.

My husband is extremely talented and has like a million hobbies and interests.  He plays the guitar, he plays the piano, he sings and writes, he loves to read, he's a talented cook, and he's handy and likes to fix things around the house.

And then there's me-- I'm good at stuff too, but until about 9 months ago there really wasn't anything that I was very passionate about. Until then I was mostly interested in watching tv, spending time with others and following Weston around.  I was waiting to be entertained.  I'm going to blame my lack of interest in being alone on my birth order.  I'm the baby of 6 and never really had to entertain myself.  There were always other people around to keep me entertained.  I was used to having others tell me what to do and how to do it, and I got really good at taking direction. 

So- in my adulthood I am paired with this super talented man with a zillion hobbies up his sleeve.  I realized early in our marriage that I needed to find my own thing.  That relying totally on my husband, children, or the media for my entertainment and satisfaction wasn't going to work in the long term.  I wanted to give my husband time and space to nurture his interests and I needed to do the same for myself.  So-- I had to find something to be interested in.

I tried photography.  I'm terrible with the camera.

I tried to be a gardener. I don't know the first thing about plants, and couldn't motivate myself to learn.  

I tried my hand at homemaking.  You know- cooking and cleaning.  I'm not super good at either.

But then I found it! On a whim I decided to sew some Christmas stockings for our family. I bought a sewing machine on Amazon, watched some Youtube videos and got to work. I was hooked!  I seriously can't get enough of it.  I read everything I can about sewing and sewing techniques. I'm 100% self taught.  Even my mom is impressed at my new found hobby.  She has said that never in a million years would she predict I would get into sewing.  I'm just not that kind of girl.  

So that's why I write about sewing all the time.  I just love it.

More than that-- I am convinced that through finding a hobby I have also found a little piece of myself.  I am able to be content being alone.  I am able to sit quietly in the living room with my husband while he reads or plays guitar and work on a project of my own.  I no longer care so much about what everyone else is doing because I'm immersed in my own thing.  I've got my own interests to nurture.  I'm suddenly thankful for some of the quiet moments in the day or evenings when I get a few hours alone--it gives me time to work on my projects.

I honestly think that if every girl/woman had a hobby that they truly LOVED-- they would spend WAY less time worrying about others and really learn to enjoy themselves and enjoy their talents. I wish that was something I had learned in my adolescence.

I want so badly for my girls to be passionate about something. I know they will eventually struggle with the things every young girl struggles with- wondering if they're good enough, having fun at someone else's expense, experiencing the feeling when someone has fun at their expense, and so on.  But I truly desire for them to not only find their fulfillment completely from the God who created them and loves them- but I also want them to experience the feeling of being passionate about something.

I want to do everything I can to foster their imagination and creativity and allow them opportunities to find something they love.  Obviously, I want them to be passionate about something productive and not passionate about doing nothing or doing something that is harmful to them or their family. Maybe they'll get into sports, dance, music, art, technology, school, photography.... who knows.  Whatever it is- I pray now for their creativity and their desire to do good.  I pray that they will discover this little bit of peace much, much earlier than I did.

And I hope you will discover it too-- if you haven't already.