Last update: February 18, 2016
Life is short and we cannot afford the luxury of rejecting the moments that allow us to enjoy it and leave aside our greatest passions. Obviously, working is fundamental and takes a long time, just as it is clear that domestic and family duties and emotional relationships occupy a large part of our life.
However, it is also true that in order to lead a full life, we must never allow ourselves not to have time to dedicate to ourselves. There is a special way of getting in touch with what we like best and that allows us to make an exception to the rules of everyday life: to dedicate ourselves to our passion.
“Passions are the relief valve of everyday life and the consolation of the passing of time”.
(Mary Roberts Rinehart)
Passions are small realms of freedom. The time we dedicate to them is our real free time, the one in which we do what we really like without the intention of obtaining an economic gain or fulfilling an obligation.
The benefits of cultivating a passion
Doctors, psychologists and all health professionals agree that having a passion increases the quality of life. It is a balancing factor and helps preserve physical and emotional health. Among the main benefits of cultivating a passion are the following:
- It allows to develop innate abilities and talents, as well as to introduce new potentialities;
- It helps to disconnect us from the routine and other activities that can be stressful;
- It is an excellent antidote against depression, anxiety and nervousness, as it helps to achieve a calmer state of mind;
- It affects the development of creativity and the ability to self-discipline;
- It allows you to expand your social life;
- Increase motivation to face life's problems;
- Strengthen self-esteem, facilitates the planning of new goals and helps to constantly improve;
- It helps to make the most of moments of solitude, that is, in the company of oneself;
- Free from obsessions caused by work, debt, relationship problems, etc.
Of all these benefits, the most important is that a passion it helps us to recognize the most genuine parts of ourselves. It is when we cultivate a passion that we are true, because we do not have the anxiety of the result and because we do not have to prove anything to anyone, not even to ourselves.
Some tips for enjoying a passion
Surely everyone will have in mind an activity that you would like to do in your free time. However, you do not always succeed in making this wish come true or you do it only once in a while. Modern life absorbs a lot of energy and leads you to easily forget about yourself. For this reason, it is good to consider some points to make the passion you have a treasure that enriches your life:
- Maybe you would like to sing, but everyone tells you that you are out of tune. However, since your goal is not to become a tenor like Pavarotti, why not try singing as a hobby? No matter how out of tune you are, with a little technique you will be able to improve a lot. The only thing that really matters is that you like it and enjoy it.
- Don't just cultivate the passion in which you are skilled. Look for activities related to it and, why not, also others that you barely know. You may be surprised at your hidden virtues, who were just waiting for the right moment to emerge.
- Do not postpone and do not give up for external factors. The right time is now. Do not allow your responsibilities, family pressures, or accumulated commitments to prevent you from practicing your passion. This is as important a period of time as that of daily duties. It is an instant for you and, for that very reason, it is sacred. The practice of a passion always reflects on a greater work, family, social commitment, etc.
- Get away from your usual social core. It is good to create a breaking point with everything that represents your routine. There is no point in having your partner, your co-workers or a member of your family participate in the realization of your passion. It is a different time, of exploration, of freedom.
- Don't depend on money. Perhaps you are looking for too expensive pastimes, which becomes an excuse to never practice them. It may be that you like climbing, but you don't have the proper equipment, or that getting out of the city is too expensive… And so everything remains only in the form of a project. If, at this time, you cannot afford to practice one of these expensive passions, look for similar cheaper ones.
Images courtesy of Pascal Campion
