Remember when you were a little kid and your parents caught you doing something out of the ordinary and they would ask you, "What do you think you are doing?". Maybe you were experimenting in the kitchen, creating a new game, or trying to figure out alternative ways to paint something. Or if you were like me, maybe you always felt the need to experiment with different beauty products because you were destined to create your own skincare line. You might have tried to sum up an explanation for whatever you were doing, because you needed to explain why you were doing something out of the ordinary. Although you may have explained yourself, most of the time as a little kid that phrase "What do you think you are doing" was usually followed by "Stop doing this". My explanation usually involved me stuttering and pausing to try and justify what I did and failing miserably.
Looking back on those times, you may now agree with whoever stopped you and wondered why you really thought that chocolate syrup was a great alternative to paint. As a kid, your curiosity often got the best of you at times, leading you to do some unconventional things. Although now you probably don't find yourself in these moments quite as often, there's still times where we feel like we need an explanation for something we may do. We constantly need to justify our actions and curiosities in order to make ourselves feel more secure with our choices. We may have needed an explanation for those things as kids but with the freedom of adulthood comes the freedom to choose and just do what makes us happy. Not everything we do needs an explanation. So maybe you decided to take a photography class because it's something you enjoy and want to learn more about. Maybe you just want to stay home all weekend instead of going out. Maybe you want to drive to the ocean at 2 am in the morning. Maybe you want to try going vegan. Whatever and wherever our curiosity leads us to does not need an explanation. We should not feel guilty for just wanting to feel alive and do something that will make us happy. And if people around you are so worried about what you are doing then eliminate them from your life because you should not have to justify being yourself. We don't owe anyone, not even ourselves, and explanation for doing something or going somewhere that will bring us joy. These moments are few and far-between in life and by not taking advantage of them, we begin to lose our sense of self.
So if you've been dying to learn how to play guitar or just want to go on a road trip by yourself, just do it without feeling the need to explain it to others. Remember the curiosity you had as a little kid that led you to explore. Whenever you feel the need to justify following your curiosity, just remember your inner child who decided to experiment in the kitchen just because they wanted to.
