A life that exists beyond work

Hobbies are not only side activities but they help us stay human.

Some conversations stay with you, replay in your mind time and again. Not because they were dramatic. But because they quietly made you think and challenge perceptions. This was one of those conversations.

We were all sitting at our desks, doing our usual work. A person from another team had come over to discuss something with one of us. While talking, she suddenly looked across the table. A few photographs were placed there. They were striking. The kind of photographs that make you stop and look again.

She paused and asked, “Whose photos are these?” When she learned they belonged to someone from our team, her reaction was immediate. “Why are you here? Leave right away.” Everyone looked confused. “What?” he asked. “Yes,” she said again, completely serious. “Leave this job and pursue this immediately. You can earn from it.”

She went on to explain what she meant.
“Look at you. This is professional level. You should be doing this.”
Her words came from a place shaped by her own life. She had not had much exposure growing up. Her thinking was practical and direct. If you are good at something, turn it into your work.

It sounded logical. Also, because we see multiple stories around us where people are now able to make their hobbies into something they earn from which was not something that was perhaps possible in her time. But it also raised an important question.

Do all hobbies need to become jobs? Sometimes a hobby exists simply because we need something beyond work. The world we live in today often feels heavy. Every day brings new uncertainties. Conflicts, tensions, sudden shortages, unexpected changes. It can feel like living through small storms time and again.

In such a world, we carry a lot of emotions inside us. We need something that helps us process those feelings. Something that keeps us grounded. Something that reminds us that we are more than our deadlines, meetings, and job titles.

I often find it difficult to understand a life that has nothing beyond work. Listening to music by itself is not really a hobby. Watching shows is not a hobby either. I believe your creative side should be involved, where your mind is exploring and you are creating something. This creative space gives your mind a different kind of freedom. And in difficult times, that freedom matters.

When the future feels uncertain, a hobby can quietly support you. It can give you moments of calm. It can help you stay hopeful even when the outside world feels chaotic. Most importantly, it belongs only to you. It is not measured by promotions, performance reviews, or income. If you already have something like that in your life, hold on to it. Protect it.

And if you do not, it might be worth putting some effort into finding one. Once you find it and also get good at it, you can also attempt to earn from it, but that’s not a mandate.

Try to find something as such, simply because you deserve something in your life that exists just for you, that’ll perhaps help you stay sane and human through tough times.

@nisha_navgire on insta if you wish to discuss this further.