Indifference is the mild approach to life where you simply drift along with events as they occur and not care much about what happens. It's the disease of attitude that keeps people from investing the time to cast a vote in elections and then complain about the integrity and quality of our leaders. It's an attitude that develops over time without even realizing how it influences your decisions. In this week's lesson we will discuss why we should remove the shackles of indifference. Because the major problem of drifting through a life of indifference is that you cannot drift your way to the top of anything.
Anyone who reaches the top of their field, or even reaches a long-term goal that doesn't relate to their occupation, does so out of PASSION. The language that these people use is not, "I might get there." No! The language is, "I'll get there, and do whatever it takes to make it happen."
Passion and Indifference are two sides to the same coin. You're not "born into" one side or the other. You choose which one it will be. And you must choose again and again on a daily basis. The easier road taken by too many, is to make indifference a way of life.
There are many causes of indifference. Some people are afraid to take a stand because they fear they may be wrong. So they just accept whatever their boss or government leaders dish out to them. Our current political process counts on voters to be indifferent. The media tells them who has a chance to win an election and most people just accept that the experts and analysts must know what's best for them. That's why so few people actually care enough to show up and vote. Thus the same candidates who are indifferent themselves dominate the political process.
Others simply accept their lack of confidence and refuse to even try anything challenging. Still others find that it is easier to ignore a situation than to respond to it, and are willing to forego a life full of bountiful rewards in exchange for a meager, undemanding existence.
Indifference usually leads one to a place called the comfort zone. Within the gray walls of this area, the indifferent person experiences no challenges, no adversity, and as few disappointments as possible. This leads to few opportunities...and NO GROWTH. They are safe, sheltered and secure. Little affects them for better or for worse because nothing can reach them. They avoid the calls from the outside world as well as the voices within them.
So why not be angry or be excited...be disgusted or be enthusiastic...be miserable or be happy...But be something! All progress from human activity is the result of some intense feelings. If you don't act, you cannot achieve.
Many times, the people that you surround yourself with will have a substantial impact on the choices that you make. If all of your life, you've been around people who are indifferent about everything, you may come to the conclusion that "That's just the way it is."
If you've come to that conclusion, then I believe you have sold yourself short in life. That's how it is for THEM, but they've made that choice. You too have to make a choice: FOR YOU!
Which will it be: Indifference or Passion?
If you choose Indifference, then don't get up. Stay where you are, you'll be quite comfortable drifting through.
But if you choose Passion, then get up, brush yourself off, and get moving on breaking the shackles of your comfort zone. Once you're free of them, your whole world will open up for you. You'll experience feelings that you never knew existed, and you'll be on your way to the mentality of, "I'll get there, or I'll die trying."
As an exercise, consider the areas of your life where you may be currently responding with indifference; perhaps regarding your career, in your relationships with your spouse or children, or toward the upcoming 2008 Presidential race. Get more involved in life and erase your indifference. Figure out how you can MAKE THINGS HAPPEN! You must TAKE ACTION and challenge yourself to reap the many benefits that life has to offer. This is not a difficult exercise. You just can't BE INDIFFERENT about what's important to your well being! And don't forget to enjoy every moment of the journey, as you free yourself from the shackles of indifference.