Respected dignitaries on stage, off the stage, teachers and my dear friends.
It’s almost Christmas and decoration of our homes and x-mas trees are on at full swing. But, we are having the season of exams and so does my neighbor who is a student of IIT-Madras. Yet I saw her decorating her house with lamps and lights and I was a bit confused seeing that. It was just a few days back when I wished her good luck for her exams. On asking her she instantly replied,” They are yet going on but that doesn’t mean that everything else should be paused. Everyone needs time off to chill and so do I and that’s why I am prepping for Christmas.” This struck me and she told a very important thing indeed.

But, why is having time off so important?
Having time for yourself is really important. When we work, work and work, we get exhausted and can no more give our best in what we are doing. Working continuously without a pause can strain oneself in many ways. After a certain amount of time, our brain gets overfilled with information and nothing tends to get inside it after it has crossed the limit. It’s just like pouring water in a jug full of water. It spills out. And working after the limit is equivalent to not working because we can’t function that efficiently for we are tired. After we are exhausted, we don’t find the charm in working and it looks like a burden. This is when we need to take a break from what we are doing, have a change and come back with full energy and enthusiasm. And here we come to finding something to do when we want a change and that’s what is a hobby.

So, what’s a hobby?
Hobby is an activity to engage us when we want some recreation. It boosts our energy up and gives us a cheerful feel. It’s extremely important to have one because not having that is nothing but painful. A hobby can’t nullify a problem but can definitely alleviate it. It works as a tonic when we are tired and a friend when we are inconsolable. It gives us a new way to look at a problem and handle tough situations with ease. We should definitely have at least one hobby despite whatever we are in life. It keeps us moving through the roller-coaster ride of life. A hobby can be as simple as looking through the window and enjoying nature. It can be anything and everything that soothes you. More than half the problems in life can be solved when we have a place of our own to try something and have a sphere dedicated to us. One feels complete as a person and need nothing else for satisfaction. When we are overworked and overloaded with work, just few minutes to your hobby seems relaxing.

Now, how do we develop a hobby?
Developing a hobby is more like an intuition process. As a person, we always have an inclination towards certain things and our areas of interest. We can try out a lot of things initially and then hold on to one or two that turns out to be the best for us. We have a lot of options and a wide variety and knowledge never goes in vain. So, developing skills in different aspects of life is amazing. Hobbies can also unfold a new us which we are ourselves unaware of in due course of time. As children, we might have a lot of time to spend on these but age isn’t a barrier to anything. It’s never late to start something new as life always has a second chance. So, do give things a try if you want to. Hobbies like reading books, writing, cooking, gardening, drawing, singing, dancing are great and there are million more to pen.
Take a break and start afresh. Hobbies help us to take life easy and discover ourselves and be as happy as a child. Hobbies push us forward. It’s great if you have one and if you don’t develop it right away.
Thank You!