I am now learning sewing from my parents as part of relaxation activities. Although I am not interested in it, I enjoy it. That might sound contradictory, but I realized it was a way to have fun based on relaxation. Let’s talk about it.
How to enjoy peacefully
Usually, we value passion. The more enthusiastic we can be, the more fun our activities will be. Exciting activities make our lives enjoyable.
However, applying only that style can lead to exhaustion and a sense of stagnation. Typical examples are losing motivation and being unable to discover new interests. That makes us desire hope, a breakthrough, and more mental energy.
In such a case, relaxation-based activities might help you. They provide you with a development that fits reality. You can do it as part of relaxation. That shows you new opportunities. Today, I will introduce such a style with my example.
Two types of activities
There are two types of activities, as follows:
- Enthusiasm-based activities are ones that we enjoy our passions. We believe we are right. We overcome difficulties.
- Relaxation-based activities are ones that we enjoy adapting to reality. We believe we are still inefficient, and there are many more effective ways. Realizing them makes us feel pleasant.
If you feel limited by the former style, try the latter—relaxation-based activities. That will provide you with calmness and another aspect of enjoyment.
What are relaxation-based activities?
Relaxation-based activities have the following qualities:
- Avoid being absorbed in it, even if you are interested in it.
- Reject your common sense and judge based on rationality.
- Eliminate specific visions about your goals.
- Avoid being picky. Try every case, even if it seems unlikely.
To understand it more easily, let’s look at my case.
I am now learning sewing from my parents, as I mentioned at the top of this article. I do it as part of my relaxation. It was entertaining for me, although I had no enthusiasm for it.
There was a trigger that made me realize I was not interested in sewing.
Several days ago, when I said I wanted to try sewing, my parents asked me, “Is there something you want to make?”
I vaguely answered, “I want to make money, so I want to create stuffed toys or clothes with many frills for girls.”
They refused my ideas. They were unsuitable for earning money.
How to use our circumstances efficiently
That made me realize that I have neither a particular passion for sewing nor a vision for my goal.
I noticed that stuffed toys and clothes with many frills seemed to be the major genres of sewing for me. In other words, I was confusing my interests with major things. What I know differs from my interest.
It is the same mental phenomenon as those who try to make money in a famous genre. They misunderstand their little experiences as their interests.
If I had continued to confuse them, I would eventually have encountered a motivation problem because I don’t have those senses. I don’t have any stuffed toys or clothes with frills. I can only understand functional beauty.
That realization allowed me to follow my parents’ instructions obediently. It is reasonable behavior to follow them if I don’t have anything particular I want to create.
Since I have no interest, I can learn the most suitable things for my situation. My parents are skilled at remaking old Japanese clothing, known as kimonos, into new garments.
In this situation, it is unreasonable to stick to my goal that arose from my shallow experience. It is a waste of my circumstances. Rationally speaking, it makes more sense to enter the field where I can easily gain an advantage.
Either way, I can enjoy it as part of my relaxation. Sewing itself is meaningless for me. I don’t have to pursue one aspect of values. I don’t have to passionately learn the structure of stuffed animals. Not knowing the future frees me from effort. That gives me peace of mind and the power to continue to learn it.
I currently do sewing for about one hour a day. It is not exciting for me, and that is why I can enjoy it. I will talk about the details in another article.
Conclusion
That is an example of a relaxation-based activity.
They provide you with a development that fits reality, and you can do it as part of relaxation.
That might show you new opportunities.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
