Hobbies:
Beating ourselves up over nothing
Long time no see.
The last issue was released about two months ago. I shifted my focus to the videos and left the fountain to dry up, and for that, I owe you an apology.
But apology without action is as weightless as the words on your screen. I owe you a reason to read on, and luckily, this reminded me of a sore spot that hurts the polymath types (that’s you, reading this).
Uncomfortable with stillness, we rush to become good at a little bit of everything. We jump from hobby to hobby, practice every skill under the sun, and invite scrutiny from friends and family when the next hyper fixation gets a liiiiittle too intense.
It happens. A friend told me . . .
There’s beautiful intentions behind it, but pressure mounts under these high expectations, enough to blow us off the narrow path and into the pits of self-loathing.
It reminded me of the FOMO we get from books. There’s so much to read, but so little time to read it all. With every masterpiece in your hands, there are ten others to look forward to, and that can keep us in a perpetual state of restlessness, a constant hope of the next new thing.
You see the same pattern everywhere.
Men with a gentle, loving wife by their side can still submit to lust and end up a cheater, even if nothing was missing before.
Addicts are the same, but different. They chase the next high before the first one is over, and if you live in an area troubled by the narcotics trade, you'll be familiar with the misery and pain that can spiral into.
It’s easy to feel shame and loathing if you know you are in the wrong, but in the case of your interests, this disappointment is often harsh, unfair and hidden away from your rational judgement of self. It’s pointless self-flagellation.
I really should start boxing . . .
You go to the gym 5 times a week.
I finished 2024 with only 12 books . . .
You read twelve more than expected of you.
I quit like ten different hobbies within the past 6 months . . .
You ruled out ten to find the eleventh: your passion.
High standards are great. They propel you above mediocrity and give you a sense of meaning. I would never write an article to pull you into the crab bucket, but without managing that ambition, you may fall back in by yourself.
To disregard your effort in the now means you will never be content, even if you start that extra thing you were putting off—how can you relegate happiness to the future if you reject it right now? Who’s to say then won’t just become a busier reflection of now?
Good, but never good enough.
Just like the FOMO-filled reader, we have to cherish what’s in front of us right now and respect ourselves for the struggle and energy we pour in. We can always do better, and desiring that is a healthy sign of motivation, but if you are not happy with n, who’s to say n+1 will fix that?
It’s bad that I neglected this mailing list- no doubt there -but equally, I won’t cry in the corner. I know that time and effort was put to the videos instead. If I swapped the two, the exact same dilemma would pop up and I would be left like a rat chasing his tail.
Respect yourself in the present, or it may never happen in the future.
Yours,
Odysseas
P.S.
2025 is the year of less videos, more emails. That means more time spent per video, better editing and hopefully a nicer watching experience for you.
"More emails" just means I no longer disappear for two months. Your inbox is a sacred place, and I still don't wish to butt in every day with some annoying, half-assed slop.
P.P.S
If you have sent me a message in the past 1-2 months, you are not forgotten! I catch up a little every day, so eventually, I will read and respond to you—guaranteed.
My apologies to those unlucky few who were kidnapped and absorbed into nothingness by the spam filter. I didn't realize it deleted stuff automatically.
On that note, you're always welcome to shoot me an email. I appreciate feedback, input on what you'd like to read about, or anything in general. That's half the fun here.
P.P.P.S
Ok it's getting ridiculous now.
I'll have a book review out tomorrow. It's a long one, so brace yourself. After all, great books can't be stripped down to a few hundred words—it doesn't do them justice. Much of it is quotes and extracts anyway, so you can bounce around them and read the parts that you're most interested in. Hope you enjoy!