Different activities make different groups of individuals happy. Happiness in one person’s perspective may not be how another person would describe it. Overall, I suppose I’m a rather simple teenager. I have a few common hobbies that I enjoy daily, and they make up a good amount of my happiness. Although I believe having a positive mindset does affect happiness, hobbies that we enjoy also play a big part in our happiness. Our hobbies are especially beneficial towards our short-term happiness, and they even help us maintain a positive mentality in life. Not enjoying anything in life would make it impossible to keep a healthy mind. That positive mentality is also valuable for our long-term happiness. I believe long-term happiness refers to one’s lifestyle, fulfillment, purpose, and love for others and themselves. Logistically, a positive mentality would be favourable in all those categories. Our hobbies are the simple activities that we enjoy and participate in daily. A good life would mean keeping your short term and long-term happiness balanced. It is crucial to put work in towards long term success, but if you are too worried about future success that you end up not enjoying your youth, you will become to suffer from a negative outlook in life. Sacrificing one’s current happiness for the future is a decision that could cost them dearly. Once they meet failures, all they will have left is despair. The negative outlook will haunt them, and it could even end up lowering productivity. Summarizing everything, the small things in life that make you happy play an important role in your life and wellbeing. Similar to most people, I have many hobbies, but they can be narrowed down to a few that I enjoy most.
A majority of my friends love watching anime. One of my favourite hobbies is watching anime and getting to discuss the anime I watch in detail with my friends. A couple of the pictures pinned on my Pinterest profile are related to anime. When I was around the age of seven, my older cousins got me into this anime called Fairy Tail. It was special to me because I looked up to my older cousins and was given an opportunity to relate to them more by watching the same shows as them. Although the newer seasons of Fairy Tail received a lot of hateful reviews from the community, the anime is cemented in my heart and memory for introducing me to the world of anime. Shortly after, I was around eight years old when my uncle referred me to Naruto. Naruto was everything to me as a child. It was the first show to ever truly allow me to experience all forms of emotion. After Naruto, throughout the rest of my life I have watched a variety of different anime. When I was younger, everything about anime was exciting to me, but now at an older age, I am capable of understanding deeper plots and characters.
One anime that I have caught up with recently is One Piece. Even as I was watching One Piece, I thought Naruto was my favourite. However, I had a change in heart when I caught up with One Piece. Like Naruto, One Piece also allowed me to experience all types of emotions. I never expected to get teary eyes from the death of a pirate ship. The way they portrayed the death of the ‘Going Merry’ and the music that played was an absolute masterpiece. One Piece also has so many likable characters. Most anime have a few people that are community favourites, but in One Piece, there are so many characters that people consider their favourites. Even the villains in One Piece are popular favourite characters. I have a hard time debating who my favourite character is, but I believe it must be Trafalgar Law. I aspire to remain as calm and composed as he does, even during troublesome scenarios. The backstories of the characters and the character development in One Piece undoubtedly is unmatched by any other anime. Most anime fans who don’t watch One Piece are scared of its length, but when you get caught up, you come to realize that there aren’t enough episodes to satisfy you. Running out of episodes to watch from interesting shows is truly a sorrowful feeling. Anime is surprisingly more impactful in my life than I thought. One example was how I suddenly started becoming interested and better at volleyball after watching the anime Haikyuu. Joining the volleyball team at school this year is one of my goals. Moreover, anime is great for all the morals that they teach us. A majority of anime in the Shounen genre, such as One Piece really emphasize on how friendship is one of the greatest powers in life. Luffy and his crewmates are all friends who can always count on each other, regardless of the situation. Other common messages in anime include persistence in achieving your goals, lessons about kindness, and dealing with your vulnerabilities. I know a good sum of people are new to anime and have caught on due to how much of a trend it has been during the past few years. I recognize that many people who made fun of anime back then are the same ones who hopped on the trend. In a way, it could be perceived as a good thing because there are more people to engage in conversations about your favourite anime with and more people to relate with. My gratitude goes towards my uncle and cousins who inspired me to watch anime at an earlier age. My love for anime is as strong as my passion for soccer.
Soccer or what other countries call “football” is the most popular sport in the world. It is quite a simple sport as it mainly requires just a ball. This simple sport also happens to be one of my greatest passions. I started playing organized soccer when I was nine years old. Soccer is great because not only is it exciting and fun, but it’s also great for exercise since you’re constantly moving. The field is also large so there are many gaps and spaces to fill. My main position is forward, but I am capable of playing every position besides goalkeeper. My friends were the real reason I started playing soccer. They motivated me to become better and compete with them. One of my fondest memories of soccer was when I joined the grade nine soccer team for Q.E. and we became Fraser Valley champions. The year after, I decided not to join, but apparently, we won once again. This year, the season was cancelled unfortunately. Depending on how much time I have, I may join the senior soccer team next year. My love for soccer is something that I have in common with my younger sister who plays high level soccer with older girls. Watching soccer on television is a hobby I share with my father. We would often record big matches so we could watch them together after he came back from work. My favourite players who I pinned are Neymar and Mbappe. Neymar has always been an inspiration to me ever since I started playing soccer. His skill and ability to break down defenders is absolutely mesmerising. Before my own soccer games, one of the routines I followed was watching videos of Neymar’s career highlights to hype myself up. Overall, I am thankful that I am privileged enough to play organized soccer, while also being able to cheer on my favourite professional teams. Soccer fans and players across our planet argue that soccer isn’t just a sport; soccer is a lifestyle. Although soccer is one of my favourite activities, I love sports in general.
Sports fans and athletes don’t have to be committed to only one sport. Recently, basketball has been becoming very popular in Canada. During the past few years, my love for basketball has also been growing. The pictures I pinned of the Toronto Raptors symbolizes my hobby of basketball. Playing basketball with my friends at the park is something I always look forward to. It gives me a chance to connect with my friends and I love going all out with them on the court. The Toronto Raptors are my favourite basketball team, and I was pleased to witness their first championship in 2019. It wasn’t just Toronto’s first NBA championship, but Canada’s first championship as a whole. As a hardcore fan, it felt like our whole nation was unified and supportive of the Raptors during the 2019 finals where they ended up beating the Golden State Warriors. Watching the Raptors play is another way that I can bond with my father. A famous quote used by basketball enthusiasts around the globe is “Ball is life.” Just like my new interest in basketball, I am constantly on the search for new fun hobbies to keep me occupied.
There are some useful skills in life that some people excel at while others have trouble with. Noelle from the anime Black Clover for example has bad magic control in a world where magic means everything. In real life, cooking is a skill that is almost crucial to learn. I have never been interested in cooking, but I know that as someone who is turning seventeen, I must learn to be more independent. Knowing this, I decided to turn cooking into a hobby I enjoy. The two Asian dishes featured on my Pinterest page represent my ability to gain new interests and skills. As of now, learning how to cook is my newfound hobby. This means helping my parents in the kitchen as much as I can and learning to cook my own delicious meals. Growing up, my parents would always cook Southeast Asian food for me. It is my turn to learn the family recipes. One day, I strive to be as skilled as my parents in the field of cooking.
Everyone has their own particular places where they feel comfortable and can relax. It could be your room or the park; the possibilities are endless. As far as I am concerned, the beach might be one of my favourite places to relax and enjoy with family and friends. My family and I often go to Saturna Island, one of the Gulf Islands in B.C. My grandma owns a house there and she visits the island frequently. The sunset photo I pinned on my profile reminds me of the sunsets I would see with my family while at the beaches of Saturna Island. Beaches are perfect for getting rest and clearing up my mind.