Is Apathy Normal?

Life may not always be exciting, but feelings of apathy can spell trouble.

ap�·a�·thy
/Ã?Ë?apÃ?â?¢THÃ?â??/

Noun
Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

Synonyms
indifference – unconcern – listlessness

When apathy is present, concern is also. Apathy is ALWAYS an indication that something is wrong.

1) APATHY IS ALWAYS AN ALARM

Life is not always exciting in the sense of skydiving, bungee jumping or rock climbing. Some things just have to get done, like changing diapers or mowing the lawn. I’m not very enthusiastic about some of those things….isn’t that apathy?

Those activities are rarely overly exciting but they still have value and meaning. Apathy is when we lack passion or feeling about what we’re doing and where we are in life. Apathy is similar to the flat-line on a heart monitor.

2) FIND TRUE PURPOSE

If we are passionate about life, everything becomes exciting in a far deeper sense than skydiving. If we have a sense of true purpose, and if we’re on a path that leads to fulfillment of that purpose, even changing diapers and lawn care can become expressions of our passion.

What determines whether we’re excited or apathetic?

What we all want more than anything else is TO BE HAPPY! Period. There isn’t any other goal that comes close.

3) GOAL = HAPPINESS

So, how do we achieve that happiness?

4) LOVE & BE LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY

Watch the behavior of a two-year old or someone who knows they are about to die. At the beginning and end of life we really understand what we want. We all want to feel loved. Two-year olds are ecstatic when someone is playing with them, paying close attention and loving them. When an individual is on their death bed, they never care about how much money they have or whether they’ve been skydiving. They care whether they feel loved by the people around them.

Valerie Harper, who has just been diagnosed with brain cancer and has been given anywhere from days to just a few years to live , recently said in an interview, “I’m going to live each day’s moments fully! But I’m not dying until I do. I promise!” She also added, “The thing I have is very rare and it’s serious and it’s incurable, so far. I’m holding on to the ââ?¬Ë?so far.'”

5) LOVE IS GIVEN FREELY; NOT EARNED

Passion comes from feeling loved, but even then not just any kind of love will do. We must feel loved unconditionally. And when do we feel unconditionally loved? When we do not have to EARN it with our behavior. Sometimes we turn ourselves inside-out to earn love and value. It’s exhausting!

When we have that kind of love, EVERY act becomes passionate. Without it, eventually, we become disillusioned by life, realizing that it’s all meaningless. We lose interest in “things” because those “things” no longer produce the joy we really want.

There is a woman I recently talked to who is very successful in her career. Her bonus last year alone was one million dollars. And she said to me, “I have no sense and no purpose in life!”

Find a wise person who can hear the complete truth about you and love you unconditionally. Fill up with a handful of wise parental-type forces in your life. Only then can you give what you finally have!