Wave 3: Dusting Off the Keys
Lessons on Flowing with Life
The first notes of "River Flows in You" by Yiruma cascaded out from my fingertips, dusting off years of neglect. Each hesitant press of the keys transported me back to my younger self where my mother would use it as lullaby to calm me down and sooth me to sleep. Now, years later, the music resonated differently, whispering lessons learned and the ever-changing nature of life.
"River Flows in You" isn't just a song; it's a metaphor for relearning. Like the winding path of a river, life doesn't follow a straight line. There are periods of calm, where the melody flows effortlessly, mirroring moments of comfort and confidence. Then come the rapids, the sections where practice stumbles, mirroring challenges and uncertainties. But just like the river finds its way around obstacles, so too does the music. And so do we.
This personal journey isn't just about music; it's about the deeper significance of revisiting past hobbies. Stenseng and Phelps (2013) adds another layer to the story: harmonious passion, that joyful engagement with an activity, can actually boost your overall well-being!
Think of it like the river navigating rapids – the flow might get tricky, but it finds its way around obstacles. Just like that, harmonious passion acts as a positive current, flowing into different areas of your life. The study showed that this type of passion, driven by enjoyment and meaning, is linked to:
Rediscovering a passion could reignite that inner spark, that connection to who you were and who you can become. This aligns perfectly with my experience relearning the piano – it's not just about recreating the melody, it's about the journey, the challenges, and the joy of rediscovery.
The study also highlights the importance of "harmonious" passion over "obsessive passion" driven by pressure or anxiety. Just like navigating rapids requires skill and respect for the current, pursuing hobbies with joy and fulfilment leads to a more positive flow in life.
As my fingers dance across the keyboard, recreating the delicate flow of "River Flows in You," I'm transported back to that teenage girl filled with dreams and aspirations. But the experience is different now. It's tinged with a bittersweet nostalgia, a recognition that the river of life has carried me further downstream. Yet, the melody remains, its essence unchanged, reminding me of the enduring power of music and the joy of rediscovery.
So, if you have a forgotten hobby tucked away in a corner, I urge you to dust it off, blow away the cobwebs, and give it a second chance. You might be surprised at what you find – a renewed sense of purpose, a connection to your past, and the simple joy of creation.
As I navigate the ebb and flow of life, I remind myself: learning is a lifelong journey, and sometimes, the most beautiful music comes from rediscovering forgotten melodies. After all, as an Associate Editor at Harvard Business Review, Alpaio (2021) aptly puts it, "sometimes, it's OK for a hobby to just be that. A hobby. Something that you love to do in your spare time."