This means we are fortunate enough to live in a world that is not so bleak and post-apocalyptic that we can do stuff for the simple enjoyment of doing so. These hobbies don’t have to earn you a bunch of money, they don’t have to create worldwide fame, they don’t have to cure cancer, they don’t even have to be enjoyed for long.
This causes some confusion and consternation with the highly productive among us. Why we do something with no clear outcomes? Especially when there are so many more “important” ways to spend our time.
To answer this question, let us stretch ourselves back to Greek philosophy.
If I were to travel back to ancient Greece, strolling by the schools led by Seneca, Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, and Plato, I would be headed straight to the great doors of Epicurus.
Epicurean philosophers believe that true happiness is based on the pursuit of pleasure, the critical piece being that their definition of pleasure is a life without mental anguish.
They also based happiness on the ability to live according to four tenets: moderation, simplicity, friendship, and community.
Research also supports this idea. Happy people do more for their community than unhappy people—they volunteer more, make better friends, donate more to charitable causes, and are more generous conversational partners.
It seems the old aphorism still holds true, we cannot pour from an empty cup.
Our most important work is to learn how to fill our emotional cups so that we can give fully to others without the risk of martyrdom. Being a martyr is boring, exhausting, never good enough, and conditional. But love is refreshing, fun, enlightening, inspiring, interesting, and always expanding.
Living a life full of love and fun is everyone’s birthright. The key is to love yourself first because nobody can love you the way you can.
All this to say, it is not selfish to pursue a life of happiness, it is the most generous thing you can do.
Ways to put these ideas into practice:
- Epicurus believed happiness is life without mental anguish; how can you be more present and less anxious in your own life?
- Are there hobbies or activities you want to enjoy but feel like a waste of time?
- How can you show up for yourself more today?
- If you are out of school, break your year into semesters, choose something new to study each semester – read, learn, draw, color, study a language, or practice a new creative outlet.
- Is there something (or someone) you need to say no to to do more of what you really want to do?
- Complete a time audit to see where you spend most of your free time. Are you happy with the way you spend your time?
- Is there anything that makes you happy that you could do more of?
- Add more beauty to your life through art, music, beautiful passages, poetry, or design elements. Exploring Pinterest counts!
