Listen here.
Last week we discussed how to find the things that make you truly happy. I really hope you took some time to walk through those steps and discover what some of those things are for yourself, because now, it's time to build on them!
Understanding the Difference Between Happiness and Interests
I'm sure some of you may be thinking that some of the things that make you happy are your interests. And that is probably true!
An interest is defined as "the state of wanting to know or learn more about someone or something."
For many, interests can probably be interchangeable with hobbies -- things you really enjoy spending time on casually while progressing with them as time goes on. For others, their interests might directly correlate with their job and the position they work in, which is always a plus.
Breaking Down Your Happiness Into Interests
When you were identifying the things that truly make you happy, maybe some of those things included eating good food, spending time with family and friends, or listening to your favorite playlist. While I wouldn't necessarily consider these specific actions interests, there are interests that are found within them once we break them down.
For example - Food as an Interest
If eating good food makes you happy, you may consider yourself a foodie! In terms of interests, this could break down in quite a few ways:
- Exploring new restaurants or cafes
- Making your own meals
- Baking
- Constantly trying new foods
All of these are interests you can dive deeper into, learn more about, and develop over time.
I encourage you to do this breakdown with your own list of things that make you happy. Let me share one of mine to give you another example!
Music
I love listening to music. Growing up as a dancer, music played a big part in my life, and I have always had a strong appreciation for it, which has only expanded as I've gotten older. While music could be an interest in itself, since there are so many genres to explore, there are also other interests that can stem from music:
- Learning how to play an instrument
- Learning how to sing
- Learning how to compose music or write music and lyrics
- Collecting albums or vinyls
For me, since I also really love photography, I combined those two interests and dove into concert photography, I haven't been doing too much of it lately, but it's definitely something I want to get back into because even just the energy of being at a live performance is so electric -- it lights me up every time!
Your Turn to Discover What Lights You Up
I want you to find those things that light you up as well. Just like with finding what makes you truly happy, it may take a bit of time to find your interests. In some cases maybe it's about combining a few things you already love, or maybe just expanding on the interests you already have.
Everyone deserves to have those things that light them up inside and that can distract them from what's going on, especially on the bad days.
Take Your Time and Explore
I hope this leaves you feeling inspired to find out what those things are for you and to start exploring them. Remember, your interests should bring you joy, but they may not be the same exact things that you found that make you truly happy. They may be slightly elevated or combined with other things you enjoy.
Allow yourself the time to try new things that align with what makes you truly happy and see if you find new interests for yourself. Because after all, learning is an interest too!
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