What Makes Life Better?

Daily writing prompt

What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?

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If you’ve known me for a while, you’d know that there is nothing more I’d love than having some time to myself, just so I can read, listen to music, make art, or binge-watch something.

All of them are some form of creativity or consuming art. If there is anything at all that I would love in life, it would be to be able to be able to monetize my art enough to a point where it doesn’t even feel like work anymore. I don’t know how close I am to realizing that dream, but it is obviously up there on my vision board.

Someone said something to me lately about people not having a third place to go to between home and work. At some point in time, people used to have that third place, and they even had the time to fit in some hobbies to pursue. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for me, I live in a time where my hobbies can be monetized to an extent. No big deal, after all, it only takes a lot of money to get started, right? Maybe that is the reason people aren’t able to do what they love more freely. 

And that is just a thought that is too sad for me to even comprehend.

Anyway, taking some time out for ourselves can make life infinitely better. There is a reason why people keep saying that taking a break is important. I’ve seen it happen to people, firsthand, and when you don’t allow yourselves to get enough rest, your body ends up taking that decision for you. There’s no telling how long it will be before we recover enough to resume life the way it used to be. And then we end up walking on eggshells the whole time because we don’t want to go back to the state that got us here in the first place.

But merely having the time to pursue my hobbies isn’t what makes life worth living. I could do all that and still feel miserable and empty inside because it usually serves as a distraction during times when I want to keep my thoughts at bay, and not remind myself of everything that has happened that I don’t really want to talk about. 

So, what exactly makes me happy? What makes my life better? 

Well, this might sound corny as hell, but it’s having my family and friends around. I crave and thrive in human connection. As much as I would like to shut myself in with nothing but art, I am so grateful for my family and my closest friends who have been here for me through things that I never thought I would make through. 

After all, they do say that ‘shared joy is double, but shared sorrow is only half‘. If it weren’t for them, I am not even sure where I would be, if it weren’t for them. They have been my biggest support system, and I am almost sure that if I were to isolate myself, life would really, really suck! 

It’s all about the little things. They’re always the most important ones. They’re right there when you need them.

Cheerio! Xx

Featured Image by Helena Lopes on Unsplash