Leave Interests for Later

Are you one of those people who love trying everything? Someone who has loads of different interests and about twenty types of people you want to be?

I sure am!

I want to be an athlete, a writer, an artist, an actress, a singer & musician, a baker, a chef, a professor, an Olympian, a reader, a gardener, a life coach, nutritionist, a researcher, a doctor. I want to learn about astronomy and photography, I want to be a world traveler, a designer, a career student. I want to be everything all the time!

Becoming ill at a young age gave me a different sense of direction. It gave me focus.
I learned, at 14 years old, that my health would continue to become worse over the years. So, when I was young and had the abilities, I crammed as many athletic endeavours and travel that I could manage. I did everything active that I could. I travelled. I took risks. I tried lots of different sports and joined as many teams as my schedule would allow. I threw myself into making music albums and made sure that I went to University for a Bachelor's Degree.

There was a specific reason I focused on these particular interests.
I knew that, at some point, I would not be physically able to do these things. I made a list of interests in order of capability.

Even right now - I am able to learn how to draw and paint, practice music, read, garden, and learn a new instrument, all while practicing low-impact yoga, kayaking, and cycling in the summer. I can spend time outside with the pups, I can swim, and I *might* even be able to travel a tiny little bit near home. I can go camping and go for drives. These are interests I am capable of doing right now. So I focus.

I would love to learn how to sew & design clothing. I would love to learn about photography and astronomy. I would love to learn how to crochet and I would LOVE to focus more on my writing.
BUT....
These are all examples of interests that I can also learn and focus on when my health becomes worse. These are interests I can look forward to learning when some of my current interests are too difficult to participate in.

When you know your health is going to get worse, when it is an inevitability, it is important to have plans for new interests and new things to learn. I can imagine my life with poorer health and know that I will also have new interests to keep me busy, occupied, and interested in life.

So I keep these ideas of interests I would love to learn. I keep a little list so that I always have something new to look forward to, regardless of my health struggles.