One of my least favorite questions for someone to ask me is a question about what I like to do, or my favorite music or movie. For some reason once someone asks me one of these questions I forget everything that I have ever liked ever. I can never think of a single thing that I like to do or do not like to do. This is not because I do not have interests or that I have a bland personality. It is because sometimes I really do not know what I like and do not like.
We all get caught up in the way of life. Things get busy and people have to take care of responsibilities. This means that people, including myself, miss out on the things that enjoy. Whether you are caught up in a job, a relationship, school, or anything else that takes up time; you should always take time for yourself. There are times that it is fine to be selfish and think of yourself. When we neglect ourselves we begin to lose sight of what we want.
One day you are at work and someone asks you what you do for fun. You think to yourself and realize you do not do anything fun for yourself. You always do what you have to do or you do what others want you to do. This is not how life should work. I think that it is important to do things for yourself every once in awhile. Go to a bookstore alone and pick a new book. Go have lunch at your favorite restaurant. Even take a walk around the block by yourself. Sometimes it is refreshing to do things on your own because you can learn more about who you are.
Recently, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the things that I have liked or not liked. I discovered that I did not have that many strong opinions about anything in particular. So, I have made time to do things on my own that I knew I would like, but never got around to doing because life had caught up with me.
I realized that I love spending the day at an art museum. I learned that watching crappy movies on Netflix is great when it is a lazy day. I discovered that eating alone at the mall and not having to talk to another can be awesome. I have realized that I had been pushing my interests to the side for the sake of others; it has shown me that sometimes this is not in the best interest for me. There are things that I want to do and try; I just need to make sure that I have time do things for me.
If we do not take the time to do the things that we love; we begin to lose sight of who we are. It is important that we take the time to discover the things that inspire, motivate and push us. It allows for growth and development as we go through life. Doing things you love allow you to connect with others that think the same way as you. Trying new things teaches you about what you may or may not like. This is one of the few times that people my age can be extremely selfish with their time. This is the time to learn the most you can about yourself with the time you have. This time should be used wisely and everyone should realize that they do not owe anyone anything. There is no reason to rush life; to rush graduating college, getting a real job, and getting married. People need to learn that it is OK to do things without having a final goal in mind. Do something that is worth sharing down the road, but do not necessarily get you further down the road.
Taking the time to learn about who you are is worth every second. Never get so caught up in life that when someone asks what you like to do for fun; you do not have an answer. You should always have an answer.