I Tried Really Hard Not To Call This Post "Go With the Flow," But I'm Afraid I Failed

So the topic that I alluded to yesterday? Yep, changed my mind - which we are all allowed to do from time to time. We'll get there at some point, but today is for talking about what makes you happy.

"Hobby" is such a trivial word, isn't it? I wish there were a different way to talk about the things we love to do in our spare time, because they really are hugely important. Some people are lucky enough to do what they love for a living, but even they cultivate other pastimes on the side and as for everyone else, well, I firmly believe that they (you?) need those side pastimes in order to truly live.

What I'm talking about here is not that sort of "whee, I'm having fun!" kind of happiness, by the way - I'm talking about flow. I'm talking about finding and engaging in activities that make you feel more alive and yourself and real than, say, washing the dishes or driving to work. Unless you can find a state of flow in washing the dishes or driving to work, in which case you should really be the one with the blog here, probably.

From the Wikipedia article I linked to above: "the hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task," and seriously, what is the point of being alive if you can't find joy in at least one moment every day? Okay, that might be a little dramatic and a bit of an overstatement - some days are just going to be straight-up free of happiness and all we can do is power through and come out the other side, that's just a damn fact - but I think an unfortunate number of people live their entire lives like that and it makes me incredibly sad.

So because the very last thing any of us want is for me to be sad, here's today's assignment: spend a little time this week in a state of flow. If you don't know how to get there, then your assignment is to figure it out. Surely you know what you like to do, right? Or you have an inkling? Go ahead and do it, and let yourself get immersed. Don't worry about what anyone else might think about it, this is your flow, not theirs. Then start carving out regular bits of time for yourself for this ... what shall we call it? "Flow-time" is not good at all, but I'm not coming up with anything better. Leave a suggestion in the comments if you have one! Anyway. Regular bits of time to let yourself flow. Your self will thank you, and the rest of the world will find ways to thank you too.

Foodie Wednesday tomorrow! How exciting is that? So exciting. See you then.

- Sarah