"Pretend Interest" and Apathy... What To Do About Them!
by: Sue and Chuck DeFiore
According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary "apathy is defined as the following: lack of emotion; lack of interest; indifference".
Wow, that's pretty depressing. However, look around you. Don't many of you work with people with this attitude. I don't, because I run 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, I couldn't understand how they could be that way. While I left corporate America, for my own separate set of reasons, apathy was certainly not one of them.
Unfortunately in the business that Chuck and I run we also see too much apathy. Of course, we get people who show what I like to call "pretend interest". They figure if they pretend an interest in something else, maybe no one will notice their apathetic behavior.
The individuals who pretend an interest in creative real estate will call us, and want us to guarantee that they will succeed (without any effort I might add). NOTE: NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE YOUR SUCCESS BUT YOU. Or they will want to know how quick they can make a million dollars (again, without doing any work). Or, how do I know it will work for me, in my area. As far as their area, creative real estate works in most areas. However, will it work for them, that I can't answer. They have to decide if they are going to work at it or not, they have to put the effort out. I put effort out every day and get rewarded for it. I realize, however, "if there is no effort, there is 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 characteristics, and want to make a change do the following. Find something you have an interest in, that you are not indifferent to, and watch your emotions soar. I am not telling you to quit your job, unless you really want to or need to. Look at your job in a different light or look for something you would like to do, and research it. Find out how you can start it in your spare time, or part time, and build it up so you can get out of where you are. Once you do that you'll have a new purpose for yourself. Put all of yourself 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 kind of statements are just perpetuating your apathetic behavior.
If it is not your job that is making you apathetic, take a good hard look at yourself, and be honest so you can find out what it is and do something about it. Sometimes it is as easy as finding a new hobby, or doing something special for yourself - dinner, a movie, walking, whatever, will make an enormous difference. If that doesn't help, go talk to someone on a professional level, but do something to remove the apathetic behavior, and I don't mean by using "pretend interest".
As Nike is so fond of saying, "Just Do It!"
Copyright 2003 DeFiore Enterprises
About The Author
Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 17 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit
http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our FREE "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:
[email protected][email protected]
