Hobbies, Passion, Enjoyment

Being a man of many interest and hobbies, choosing something I enjoy the most has always been a difficult task. In the past, I’ve always picked which interest or hobby I enjoyed the most based upon what I invested the majority of my time in to or what was profiting me the most – be that mentally or materialistically. I developed a mental reward system based on the return of my investments (time, money, work) instead of actual enjoyment of the activity.

A certain someone has changed all that.

See, I’ve always been considered a passionate person when it came to my hobbies, but I tended to not agree, and it turns out I had good reason. To me, I wasn’t all that passionate. No, now that I have been shown what true passion is, in myself as well as externally, I know that I wasn’t as passionate as I may have seen, but I certainly am now. To truly be passionate about something means to absolutely love it, to care for it, etc. In the past, what held importance in me was what I got back from the activity, hobby, etc.

Ask me what I enjoy doing the most now, and you will get a genuine answer. The answer will be genuine because it will be based on how much I am enjoying the activity, as well as how satisfied I am with what it does for me. What’s important in “doing what you love” is not the profit, the exposure, the return; but rather the enjoyment, pleasure, stimulation you get from is, as well as the ability to share it to those important to you (which can certainly increase your enjoyment). I have found this with my partner, my significant other, my other half. I can share my hobbies and interests with her not just on a “hey this is what I do, please don’t dislike me for it” level, but through an actual connection. I don’t just have to share what I do with her, but I get to involve her, let her enjoy it just as much as I do, which further makes it all more enjoyable for us both.

I used to laugh when people said things like “if you’re not having fun with it, then don’t do it at all,” but these days I understand that couldn’t be more true.