Responsibilities are our way of life. We learn them as children, grow with them, and they help us grow ourselves. Many responsibilities are obligatory for us as members of society, while others are voluntary; you must obey the law, you should get an education and a good job, and you can have a spouse and a family.
Responsibilities fill our existence, and good management of them directly impacts our quality of life. Taking on too many of them at once may cause stress and failure, while having too few could lead to boredom, unhappiness, and low self-esteem. Choosing a healthy balance of responsibilities is a recipe for a healthy and satisfying life, both personally and professionally.
The bigger responsibilities we carry are the hard ones that manage our life, our livelihood, and those who depend on us. Once those are taken care of, we can supplement them with other responsibilities to add to our quality of life; travel, hobbies, volunteer work, etc. These responsibilities are born from our passions. They help to enhance our self-perception and public persona. They do not only fill-in our schedule, they work to complete us as people.
“If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” ― Thomas A. Edison
These passion projects can arise from personal interests we already have, or new ones we wish to explore. Ideas may arrive from all directions: personal experiences, advertisements, recommendations, and curious searches. You know where to find them and how to start them, as you have been doing your entire life. I will not offer you new ideas for challenges, but I do have some questions that I hope will be helpful in exploring this venue:
When chosen wisely and executed with care, these kinds of activities will add fresh dimensions to your life and helps to positively influence your other responsibilities. When you cannot afford to take a vacation, this undertaking works as a release valve to stresses and an equalizing agent to emotional pitfalls. And most of all, it is a great way to be a better friend to yourself.