I have very fond memories of participating in the childhood of my nephew. I witnessed many of his “firsts”-first crawl, teeth, steps and words. His first and favorite sentence was “Is everybody happy?” This question would always make me smile. After a few months of hearing the question from him, my smiles turned to meditating on that question. Am I happy?
Happiness is defined as a combination of how satisfied we are with our life and how good we feel on a day-to-day basis. We have the ability to control how we feel. We can form life-long habits for a more satisfying and fulfilling life. Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 reminds us that happiness and service are a gift of God. The word states: 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. (NIV)
This wisdom guided me to ask another question – “What makes us happy?” Buying stuff, status, wealth, popularity, the refrigerator, the medicine cabinet — all have failed to get the job done. Research suggests that what really works, though, is a passion or a hobby – a time to play. January is National Hobby Month.
A hobby is an activity or interest pursued outside of our regular occupation for pleasure. Hobbies are a great source of relaxation. They can reduce anxiety and increase concentration. A hobby can add eight hours of joy, gratification and contentment to your week.
For example, businesswoman Lisa Brown is a perfect example. A dinner and salsa dancing demonstration at a Latin restaurant inspired her to take dance lessons at the age of 40. As her mastery grew, she was competing in numerous dance categories and found something that ignited her entire being. “It’s changed me totally,” she says. “Salsa has given me a great gift. I went to the office, had a great family to care for, but dancing shifted my spirits and direction in such an amazing way. I feel 20 years younger.” One of my sparks came from a recommendation from my physical therapist to practice yoga. Therapy turned into a passion to achieve an advanced certification to teach this ancient mind body system.
So how do you get your hands on this happiness pill? Select an activity that interests you or has value. Try different activities and see what connects. Meditating on this question expanded my life. Over the years, the answers for me have included traveling to 34 states and provinces in North America, exploring the continents of Africa, South America and Europe, African dance, drumming, gardening, singing, crocheting, sewing, coin collecting, painting, weightlifting, basketball, volleyball, creating jobs, advocating for a living wage, writing a book, producing a radio show, teaching African American history, mentoring women…I am sure you get my drift. I continue to explore this question during my quiet time with God. Use your imagination - the possibilities are endless.
These hobbies re-introduced me to myself, long forgotten under a pile of duty and obligation. They reacquaint us with the enthused, eager soul we used to be and give us a reason to be that person as often as we can each day. Celebrate your favorite hobby this month. Host a hobby party with friends. Research different hobbies with your children and select a new one to try. Hobby happiness is the truth. Have fun because the Bible tells us so!
Source: explore.chicagocollections.org; http://collections.carli.illinois.edu:80/cdm/ref/collection/uic_7sh/id/3198
