There is no question that the ability to transact messages via electronic mail and the introduction of compact Smartphones has brought many important changes to Society. Today we can gain answers to most any question, near-instantly, via a simple Google search. Social media allows us to share important moments in Life to friends or relatives with easy.
Some may argue, though, that perhaps we share far too much personal information via these electronic capabilities. A more troubling aspect of electronic communications is this: people have less and less time to decouple from work. Most people today shoulder pangs of guilt if business emails or work-related questions are ignored while supposedly vacationing.
Ridiculous!
The best thing about growing up and working in the Pre-Internet Era was our lack of off-time guilt. When the work day ended, it ended. Granted, sometimes that ‘day’ ended well into the night, but once ‘clocked out’, that was the end of the day’s battles. When we went on Pre-Internet Vacation, we forgot about what we left behind and enjoyed what was before us.
Man…that seems like centuries ago.
One important aspect of Pre-Internet Life was the proliferation of hobbies. People enjoyed all sorts of down time activities: ball games, bowling, golfing, shooting pool, car mechanics/hot-rodding, stamp/coin collecting, fishing, and even electronics or Amateur Radio. Yet, many of those traditional hobbies are seeing fewer and fewer active participants and it’s not due to a lack of interest…it is a lack of spare time!
People don’t know when to shut down work and to pursue a different, divergent course. Many actually feel guilty while pursuing something less stressful and personally enriching.
That’s nuts.
Here’s a bit of advice on how to stay and live young:
• Throw out non-essential numbers…pay experts to deal with those.
• Keep tabs on cholesterol and blood pressure…nobody lives long with ‘goopy’ blood.
• Keep only cheerful friends…grouches pull you down and beat you with experience.
• Don’t work every minute of every day! Pick up a hobby and learn new things.
Hobbies are very important as they automatically redirect one’s brain away from work-induced stress and into a safe space of enjoyment and intellectual enrichment. Besides, a hobby can actually improve one’s ability to solve problems.
Doubt that? Think again.
Haven’t you ever been stymied by a seemingly unfixable problem? And did you ever just throw up your hands in surrender yet come back hours or days later after cooling off only to find that Elusive Answer? Yes, a good hobby can do that and far more. In the process, you’ll meet new people and gain a broader perspective as one’s mental focus is broadened.
Keep in mind: when St. Peter throws that Big Switch and summons you in for an unscheduled heavenly conference, will you be crying to have worked more and played less?
Naw…didn’t think so…
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