I have little respect or appreciation

[Boughs]

I have the inability to appreciate things. I have little feelings of being "responsible" for things and most of all I know that I don't have these abilities so in turn it makes me upset at myself for my inability to be a wholesome good person I aim to be.

 

Growing up in a wealthy family, I have always gotten what I wanted... generally when it comes to relationships and things, I tend to "get the girl". All in all, I don't think i'm happy. I don't think I have the ability to respect things in my life... I don't really appreciate all people do for me and I can never find the responsibility for things in my life.

 

How can I revive these? I am just so de-sensitized.

[robowarrior]

That sounds familiar, i have everything i could ever want in my life, and for a long time i don't think i had any value for anything.

 

They say that you don't know what you have until you lose it. For us walking to the kitchen and getting a snack would be normal , but for someone in a wheel chair it would be nothing less then a miracle if that person was able walk to the kitchen.

 

So you can start to learn to appreciate things, from another way and in another point of view. For someone who has spend years in jail and in dark isolation, a ray of light is nothing less then a miracle.

 

So what you can try to do is to appreciate the things you received in life from these kind of points of views.

 

It was like in the bible where Jesus healed 12 people. Only 1 came back in appreciation of what happened. You can thank God for all what you received in life, and say to yourself im happy for all the efforts that are made towards me, and that i make towards others.

[CharLit]

a few ideas:

 

- Travel in a developing country. I would suggest Asia for a 1st time traveller, it might be slightly less of a culture shock than say, Africa. Go to a country like India, avoid the backpacker party capitals, and immerse yourself in the life of the locals.

 

- Volunteer in a homeless shelter

 

- read "Emergency Sex and other desparate meassures" by Kenneth Cain, heidi Postlewait and Andrew Thomson about their experiences working in humanitarian aid in various warzones throughout the 1990s

 

- learn to truly listen to those around you and try to help them when they need it. A lot of joy comes from giving.

 

- if your parents are still supporting you financially, ask them to cut you off, learn to fend for yourself.

[Portage]

Just start with one good deed a day.

 

i.e.- opening the door for the elderly or a pregnant woman.

 

- Really listening when a friend/co-worker has a problem

 

- offering to help when someone needs a hand: car problem or looking lost

 

 

Babysteps - Don't run madly into flying to the third world and feeding the poor.

 

I think once you stop selfishly focusing all your attention on yourself the rest will just flow. Learn to love the satisfying reward of helping in small ways and then it just naturally flows. You'll feel like a job well accomplished.

 

Be kind to others and yourself, learn as you grow

[kb109]

In order for you to learn to appreciate things, you must see how others less fortunate than you live. For instance, if you ever go on luxury vacations in other countries, take a break from the beautiful white sand beaches and 5-star-resort and see how the poor locals live. This was a big eye-opener for me when I went to the Bahamas. Or even take a drive through some lower-class neighborhoods or housing projects within your vicinity. Remember that there are people out there who don't even have running water, food, or anything that they need. Seeing infomercials on TV make some people angry or annoyed, but they always make me appreciate everything I have in life.

[Boughs]

I have traveled a lot in my life. I've seen most of that stuff... it never really has impacted me. Perhaps Im at the participation part of the "baby steps". Thats what I plan to do after I graduate.

 

As for cutting off from my parents... I don't know how to even go about doing that. I don't know how to start... do I get myself my own credit card to start building credit? What do I do with the money from my job? just put it in a banking account? When I do that, what kind of account?

 

I have no idea how money really works. Its just always been given to me.

[jakeywakey]

this may sound a little weird, but i have some of what yer speaking of and ive started walking alot the past few days which ive never done much of...ive walked 2 miles a day for three days and for some reason it just makes me feel better. depending on your physical fitness this could be nothing to you or a big task, idk...but i tend to enjoy it and it can clear the head out some

[Boughs]

I get frusterated when i walk actually. I think too much and I want to do something about it. Then I get back to apt... and I just sit down and I don't stand back up. Just a habit.

[jakeywakey]

I get frusterated when i walk actually. I think too much and I want to do something about it. Then I get back to apt... and I just sit down and I don't stand back up. Just a habit.

 

maybe its just a phase then, sure you feel this way now, but we all have probably had times when we were ingrateful about things. for example, you should be grateful that there are people here willing to help.

 

idk if it is something that you just try to cure or not, you know...idk if you can just make yourself start being appreciative or not, maybe just sit down and think what people do for you or realize that you should cherish each day on this earth...its a tough point to get to, but understand that we are all free to do what we please basically, there are not many boundaries, im sure eventually you will come out of it

[Boughs]

Maybe when i'm financially detatched... but I never thoroughly will be I guess.

 

Kind of frusterating... too tempting, and just overall too easy to just give up.

 

I never had a drive to kick it in gear... hopefully I'll find it somewhere in my path in life. I think those things just come about... nothing that is induced by personal decisions to grow... its just happens.