By Zofia Dove
He is 96 now and nearing the end of his journey. When I asked him what the secret is to his sharp mindedness, vitality and longevity. He replied instantly, “Find something you love to do,” he said, “then do it!” In his mid-70s he started sharing his interest in woodworking. This opened new connections, new doors, and new experiences for him. It led him to share his passion with children and teenagers. One thing led to the next and before he knew it, he was teaching students in multiple schools how to use tools and build useful things from wood.
I understood his advice immediately. After all I discovered my new abilities, passions and put to use my gifts in my 40s and 50s.
Did you know that it is never too late to discover yours?
Trying something for the first time, participating in a new activity or having seemingly random conversations may start something exciting.
A few years ago, while conducting an exercising class with a group of patients, I started sharing various anecdotes, stories and humour to lighten up the mood. When the class was over, one of the patients, an elderly lady, stayed behind and told me, “You have the gift of gab”.
“Gab?” I repeated (I had never heard this English expression before) asking, “What does it mean?”
“When you speak, people truly listen and pay attention, and you have an ability to lighten up the atmosphere in the room,” she explained
“Hmm,” I thought. “Interesting comment”. But this seemingly irrelevant, simple feedback sparked a new interest. I joined Toastmasters International. There I met many great people, formed lasting friendships and developed new communication skills. To speed up the process, I became a member of three different clubs. I learned not only how to communicate and present but also how to listen, think quickly on my feet and give feedback. The seemingly simple comment from one of my elderly patients has started me on a journey to professional speaking. Every step required me to leave my comfort zone to acquire new skills, as English is my second language.
Sometimes the greatest passion develops in the least expected circumstances!
It was during COVID that I discovered another new passion. It started with a blind date. Since the majority of places were closed to the public during that time, we could not meet at a coffee shop, a restaurant or a cinema, so we’ve met for the first time at a city park. This routine of spending time outdoors continued and eventually we realized that we both not only enjoyed being in nature but that we were both adventurous people. Since neither one of us traveled much in Manitoba, we decided to get into a car and drive to places neither one of us had previously visited. Each weekend we would pick a spot on a map, fill up the gas tank, and drive into the unknown. Each trip unveiled beauty we never knew existed!
I still recall the first time I reached for my phone and asked my friend to take a picture of me with the beautiful, meandering Assiniboine River in the background at Spruce Woods Park. The view was spectacular and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to capture it. I sent the picture to my family in Europe, and their response sparked a new idea. I thought, “I will not only continue to travel and see the beauty of the province where I live. I will make the point of sharing this beauty with my loved ones in Europe.”
Taking pictures turned to taking videos. As I was filming the beautiful places and spaces, the idea kept growing and expanding. From filming sunrises and sunsets, bumblebees and flowers on hiking trails, it branched into talking to strangers. To my surprise, the majority of people were friendly and happy to answer questions to my camera. In no time, I was not only sharing the beauty of places in our province but also the friendliness thoughtfulness and the beauty of people we unexpectedly met. Connecting with people became new and exciting element of my travelling passion. People began to take notice of the videos posted on Facebook and over time more and more people were enjoying watching the travels.
You never know how new hobby or passion can help you to overcome challenging chapter in your life.
Unfortunately, a few months into our dating, my friend suddenly died. Even though we had dated for only a short while, the time we spent on our travels, the never-ending conversations, and overcoming challenging situations together, bonded us. My grieving was real. We had shared incredible moments. We found a way to enjoy life in challenging times. Shocked and heartbroken, I was facing a tough decision: am I going to continue to travel alone or am I going to stop the adventures?
I reached the decision quickly. I realized that the joy I experienced during these travels was real and something I loved to do. He would want me to continue to be happy. Yes, his company made it that much more special, but it was not the only source of my enjoyment. My newly discovered passion was giving me a sense of enthusiasm, excitement and love of life. On top of this, the creative process of making the videos was expanding and my skills were growing rapidly, adding even more fun to the whole experience. And I was able to share my adventures with others, especially my friends and family in Europe, who enjoyed watching. With tears in my eyes (still grieving) I made an executive decision that I would continue the travel alone. From then on, I found myself getting up before sunrise, choosing the highway out of Winnipeg and driving into the unknown. My solo travelling didn’t last for too long, friends and acquaintances, some being new immigrants to Canada, started expressing interest in joining me.
As more people were watching my videos, I started getting invitations to see, witness and experience things and places I never knew it would be possible to have in Manitoba.
For example, a friend of mine invited me to Eriksdale, a vibrant community north of Winnipeg. He was a musician and the local community started organizing a festival. My visit and video about this new event in Manitoba, was made two years before CBC reporters visited the place. My video gave the new event great publicity that year. It was viewed by few thousand people after being posted on FB.
My travels took me to experience a Manitoba harvest. I got the opportunity to get on combines, (I even drove one). I filmed and interviewed farmers gathering their crops. I learned about irrigation systems and how they work in Manitoba fields. It seemed the opportunities were never ending. I flew on a glider and a small plane over the prairies. I found a man who teaches sailing in Manitoba and one summer evening I found myself on a boat on Lake Winnipeg, learning how to sail. I attended fund-raising dinner at International Peace Garden which straddles the border of the province between Manitoba and the State of North Dakota. Here I met leaders from each side of the boarder and also learned about all the programs and summer camps organized for youth there. I visited the Narrows on Lake Manitoba. I visited Buffalo Point when I got a great lesson about Indigenous peoples’ history in our province. I visited the Petroforms in Whiteshell Provincial Part, a sacred, spiritual place to First Nations people.
I was welcomed by a young couple whose husky dogs took me and my friend on dog sleigh ride at 40 below zero. At a farmer’s market I met and interviewed a young woman who lost her eyesight the year before she learned how to play an instrument. Now this new hobby is a passion, the key element to her getting out, joining other musicians and spending time doing what she loves. I’ve met people who love racing cars on ice during winter months on Lake Manitoba. I interviewed countless interesting people, who engage in meaningful and/or fun-filled activities and who are living their dreams. Manitobans are great and interesting people!
And how about you? Have you discovered new hobby, your new passion lately? What will you do differently? Join a new club, engage in a new activity, change the routine? You can learn how to paint, knit, sew, do pottery, scrapbooking, run, dive or fly a plane. All of this is available in our beautiful Manitoba.
You never know what a new activity, hobby or passion is awaiting you around the corner. It is never too late to try something new! Don’t wait for better time. Make the time.
Look around, the opportunities are closer than you think! If you don’t act now, then when?!
P.S. The benefits of engagement in such activities, including the benefits to our mental health, are immeasurable!
“Gardening Helen” was one of the many people I met and interviewed during my travels in Manitoba. She discovered her passion later in life, and today she is deeply involved in hatching monarch butterflies.
In her late 70s, she attended a fundraising event where she was handed an envelope containing a butterfly. Along with other participants, she released it – and that very moment changed her life.
“I’m almost 90 now and still involved with the monarchs,” she told me. She has since given presentations on the subject and has been interviewed countless times. “People love to learn about butterflies,” she said.
Helen, like my 96-year-old friend mentioned in my previous article, has also been invited to share her knowledge and passion with students in schools. There is no better way to involve the next generation in preserving endangered species than by sharing genuine enthusiasm. Students observe the caterpillars’ transformation and witness the emergence of butterflies. In the end, they get the chance to release them – just as Helen once did.
How inspiring. What an experience for these young people. What a memory to cherish, and what a powerful lesson about our planet and its wildlife. Helen is truly making a difference.
Last month, at the end of my previous article, I promised to share the powerful impact hobbies and passions have on our well-being. The benefits are immense, and we are still discovering more. Let me share some well-known facts:
Engaging in passions and hobbies – especially developing new ones – lowers stress levels, reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improves overall mental health. When we regularly spend time doing what we love, it decreases cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. Studies show that after just 45 minutes of engaging in enjoyable activities, stress can decrease by up to 75%.
Hobbies give us a break from everyday pressures. They allow the mind to step away—even temporarily—from life’s burdens and provide time to recharge. When we immerse ourselves in creative activities like painting, knitting, or writing, or physical activities like yoga, we focus fully on the task at hand. We shift away from a mind preoccupied with the past and future into the present moment.
It is this shift into the now that gives us access to tremendous energy that is otherwise spent worrying about what has already happened or what might come next.
When we engage in our passions, neurotransmitters like dopamine are released. Dopamine is associated with pleasure, improved mood, and a sense of satisfaction. Research shows that having passions is linked to fewer symptoms of depression. One study even found that engaging in hobbies can increase the likelihood of recovery from depression by 200% in older adults.
Because we choose them, hobbies bring positive experiences and emotions – both of which are connected to better health, higher life satisfaction, and increased longevity.
As we develop new skills, we experience small wins that build into a sense of accomplishment. This strengthens our self-worth and reminds us that personal growth is always possible. In turn, our confidence grows.
Hobbies also allow us to form identities beyond our professional roles, often acting as a buffer against hopelessness. They help us navigate difficult periods in life. Group activities such as crafting circles, book clubs, or exercise classes help us break out of isolation, expand our social circles, and increase our sense of belonging.
Trying new activities supports neuroplasticity, helping our brains stay agile and resilient. It combats boredom and stagnation, opening doors to new possibilities and connections.
The only caution is balance. Even passion, when taken to extremes, can interfere with relationships and become unhealthy. Like all good things, it thrives best in harmony with the rest of our lives.
Given all these benefits, only one question remains:
When will you begin?
Not someday. Not “when life slows down”. Not when everything feels perfectly aligned, because that moment may never come.
Start now. Start small. Follow the spark of curiosity, however quiet it may seem.
Because a single moment, like releasing a butterfly, has the power to change everything.
So ask yourself again: If not now… then when?
Zofia Dove is an international keynote speaker, author and producer, host and director of series “Discovering Beauty Everywhere”.
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