Is Your Energy Spread Among Various Interests?

Including a variety of interests and activities into one's lifestyle prevents the burden of putting all of one's focus into one thing. Imagine a sower having a packet of seeds and planting only one. He keeps a close eye on the growth spurts of the one plant, eagerly anticipating a blossom. However, when transferring the plant to a spot with richer soil, he handles the plant too roughly and snaps it. He grieves as it can't be saved. Had the sower planted more than one seed, the loss of one would not have been as significant. Nothing is foolproof nor is it predictable.

People who spread their energy into multiple areas of interest gain many advantages. For one thing, taking part in various extracurricular activities such as school clubs, sports, and volunteer work gives students an edge when they are applying to college. Similarly, having membership in organizations or volunteering gives job seekers an edge in the job market. Moreover, when students and employees balance their work with involvement in organizations, church, family, friendships, physical activity, and entertainment, they are less likely to face boredom and burnout. As the opening example demonstrates, being too wrapped up in one thing lends to the disadvantage of causing you to worry when something goes wrong and you don't have other things that can take your mind off of it. Especially valuable, with a variety of options, a person can be anticipating one thing such as a scholarship that may not come through but unexpectedly receive an even greater scholarship offer. Therefore, having a multiplicity of interests strengthens patience and helps people keep things in perspective by serving as a reminder that life can go on after a delay or loss.

This concept of variation ties in heavily to five dimensions of well-being: spiritual, mental, emotional, social, and physical. Individuals experience stress when one of these areas is neglected. This brings to mind the sayings, "All work and no play is not good," and "Too much of one thing is not good." Modification applies to everyday life in that when students continuously force themselves mentally to stay up the whole night studying, they don't get the proper amount of sleep. They in turn suffer physically from fatigue which hinders their performance throughout the day. Also, when people study or work all the time, they suffer from lack of social interaction, spirituality, or physical activity leading to the long-term effects of isolation, depression, anxiety, obesity, and heart disease. Likewise students can be heavily involved in sports, satisfying the physical and social component of wellness, but lack intellectual stimulation if they pay no attention to academics.

From these points, one sees that variety makes life more rewarding. Not only does it make applicants shine in the eyes of colleges or employers, but it balances the spiritual, mental, emotional, social, and physical components of wellness. These elements work together just as the organs work together for the proper functioning of the body. Also, having several options provides something else to fall back on when one thing fails. Especially important, indulgence in various activities creates a well-rounded, happy person who gets the most out of life. So remember the slogan, "Variety is the spice of life."