According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “apathy is defined as the following: lack of emotion, lack of interest, indifference.”
Wow, that’s pretty depressing. However, look around you. Many of you do not work with people with this attitude. I don’t, because I have my own business. However, I can remember when I worked for others and how many of the people I worked with fit this description. At that time, he couldn’t understand how they could be that way. While I did leave corporate America, for my own set of reasons, apathy certainly wasn’t one of them.
Unfortunately, in the business that Chuck and I run, we also see too much apathy. Of course, we have people who show what I like to call “feigned interest.” They think that if they feign interest in something else, maybe no one will notice their apathetic behavior.
People who claim an interest in creative real estate will call us and want us to guarantee that they will succeed (no effort at all, I might add). NOTE: NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE YOUR SUCCESS BUT YOU. Or they will want to know how quickly they can earn a million dollars (again, without doing any work). Or, how do I know it will work for me, in my area? As for your area, Creative Real Estate works in most areas. It will work for them though, which I can’t answer. They have to decide if they are going to work on it or not, they have to work at it. I work hard every day and I get rewarded for it. However, I realize that “no effort, no reward.” For these individuals, because they are so apathetic about everything, of course it won’t work. They don’t want to work. They are too indifferent.
If you find yourself with the above features, and want to make a change do the following. Find something that interests you, that you are not indifferent to, and watch your emotions soar. I’m not telling you to quit your job, unless you really want or need to. Look at your work in a different light or find something you’d like to do and research it. Find out how you can start it in your spare time, or part time, and develop it so you can get out of where you are. Once you do, you will have a new purpose for yourself. Put your all into it, heart and soul.
Don’t let apathy make you say, “I’m not good at anything,” “I don’t know what I want to do,” etc. These kinds of statements only perpetuate your apathetic behavior.
If it’s not your job that’s making you listless, take a good look at yourself and be honest so you can figure out what it is and do something about it. Sometimes it’s as easy as finding a new hobby or doing something special for yourself: having dinner, going to the movies, taking a walk, you name it, it will make a world of difference. If that doesn’t help, go talk to someone professionally, but do something to eliminate the apathetic behavior, and I don’t mean use “fake interest.”
As Nike likes to say, “Just do it!”
Copyright 2003 DeFiore Companies
