Why do we continuously shame others for enjoying themselves? That’s a question I ask sincerely because I have done it myself.

This title of this article is a phrase I used to have hanging over the toilet in the bathroom of my first house. It was a simple reminder every time I had to pee, that I should do more of what makes me happy.

I would ask myself, what can I be doing now that would make me happy? A lot of the times, the answer was simple. I want to play my video game. I want to play my guitar. I want to go for a jog. I want to watch my comfort show.

Growing up, we get made fun of for enjoying something differently than others. I grew up in a time where you had to like sports, and the boys who didn’t care for athletics were considered dorks. Funny how the times have changed, because a lot of sporty guys get made fun of now. I get the reason why it’s comical to others how a grown man can wear a jersey of a player ten years younger than him proudly.

I realized I was a culprit in this line of thinking when I was making an effort to be more social. I would text friends and acquaintances and ask them if they would like to do an activity with me. I’d inquire about the possibility of playing disc golf, joining me for an orange theory workout, or to go try out the game of squash. Those are things I enjoy doing, so that’s what I would ask others to do.

One of my friends who I had know since high school, joined me in all three of those aspects at one point or another, and finally he asked me to try out something he enjoyed. The activity he enjoyed was cosplaying as mediaeval knights and sword fighting. The armour was a hard-plastic material, and there were many participants.

I was immediately not into it whatsoever, but I decided I would give it a shot. It’s only fair to my buddy. And you know what? I actually had a good time. I knew I would never do it again, but I made the most out of it in the moment.

The biggest issue I had with it, was the fact I had to call the more experienced cosplayers “Lord” or something along the lines. I couldn’t get into it. I found it so nerdy and stupid. I was being a typical jock mocking the dorks around me.

After much reflection, I hated how I treated the situation. Who am I to shame others for having fun doing something they love? A real asshole I’d say.

I’ve sought out spending time and picking the brains of people I would consider to be more intellectual, because I want to know what drives them. Funnily enough, I found some of them indirectly shaming people who enjoy watching TV. Watching television is considered to be wasteful time, because in their minds, if you’re not constantly building up your brain cells, you’re wasting your life.

It was to the point that I figured, if I wanted to be successful and become more intellectual myself, I couldn’t enjoy watching TV. Well as someone who has witnessed the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul ride, I don’t think that was wasted time at all. It was enjoyable. It made me happy to watch the cinematic masterpiece.

We all have to do things we don’t necessarily always want to do, but if we never do anything that makes us happy what is the point of living?

Whatever it is, do more of it. Drive your truck through the mud. Take your quad down the river. Hop in a Cat and knock down trees. Go to trivia night at your local pub. Watch a Ted Talk. Buy a remote control car. Watch your favourite comedian’s new stand-up special. Eat an edible and play video games. Simulate hiking up a mountain on your treadmill. Hell, go hiking up a mountain. Listen to classical music. Go see a tap dance performance. Go to a club and dance your face off. Go pet some cats and a cat cafe. Throw the ball for your dog. Play catch with your kids. Host a game night and break out your favourite board games. Take a cooking class. Build a piece of furniture.

There’s so much joy to be had, and it is unlimited. Some things that you love to do cost money. Some cost a lot of money. But some of it is free.

If you have a hobby that costs a lot of money, I suggest you seek out something that is free, or basically free.

For example, I love going to watch The Edmonton Oilers play, but tickets have gotten so expensive. Luckily, I also enjoy playing disc golf, and other than the cost of the discs (which can definitely start to add up) it’s free.

We only get one life, so why would we spend it being miserable? I challenge you to write down all the things in life that make you happy. Do at least one of them every single day.

Nobody is gonna save you, so you might as well give yourself some saving grace by doing more, of what makes you happy.