Hobbies for hommies

Scott Schwab

I have been doing some thinking about what we fill our time with as adults. Many times our days are filled with the things that we have to do and not what we want to do necessarily. The responsibilities mount up and we are continuously chasing the ball to be on top of things. I went through a low time the first part of this week, that really got me thinking about life. I believe that it is so important to have hobbies and activities that can give us a break from the norm. We have work, children, mortgages, etc..... The fact is, we will be much more effective if we have a balance and an ability to have something to expend energy on. Remember that to get energy we have to expend energy. Today I went and played Racquetball at 6:30 with a buddy. It was early for both of us and to be hones when the alarm rang I was not looking forward to it. However, as I reluctantly got out of bed and went to play I found that the small sacrifice of time had huge rewards. I loved the fact that I was able to do something that I rarely get to do and had some male bonding time with a friend. The other thing that I realized is that with all the time that I dedicate to other things, it was empowering to get away and have a little time to not think about anything but dominating on the court; not really but I am sure you can imagine. The fact is this; we have an ability to get wrapped up in many things that are essential and necessary, but if there is no release, we will eventually lose interest and ability to focus. It is strange to think about, but to be able to focus on the things that we do most, we have to put energy into other things that will temporarily relieve us from the daily grind. This is why it is so healthy to have hobbies. I suggest doing something with your body. I have a very good friend that rides his bike often, swims, and runs whenever he gets a chance. He builds it into his schedule that way making it a priority in his life. It is interesting that this same individual performs on high levels at his work, in his school, church responsibilities, community involvement, and most importantly is a wonderful father. It is my opinion, that he is effective at all these other things because he has the ability to have time for himself, doing things that he really enjoys. Pick up something that you love and schedule it this weekend. Play a pick up game of basketball. Go golfing and walk the course. Go throw a football, go for a bike ride. Whatever it is, get out and enjoy life. It is to short to just work and die. Live it like you mean it. Have a great weekend