10 Ways to Give a Shit

In this age of self awareness and proclaimed cultural "woke-ness," many people struggle with finding the happy medium between caring too much and not giving a damn at all. Here are ways to start giving a shit again and how it can positively result in a happier, more loving, productive life..

1. Patience

In a world full of instant gratification, it is important to realize that not everything nor everyone will meet your unrealistic expectations to get what you want, when you want it, or right now. It is vital to realize that some of the best things in life come with hard work, dedication, consistency, and patience. At times when things aren't going your way, the best bet is to take a step back, breathe, and try to understand the situation rather than giving up and saying "I don't care."

2. Being Concerned but Not Worried

A big part of giving a shit is knowing the difference between being concerned and worried. When one is constantly worried about everyone and everything, it will drain the mind, body, and soul quick. It takes more energy to be worried and is highly unnecessary, especially if the matter at hand is out of your control. To be concerned, although similar, is when a problematic matter at hand may be relevant and important but is not a pressing problem continually disturbing your peace until you decide to handle the situation.

3. The Company You Keep

People you choose to associate with is a direct reflection of yourself sometimes. Having the correct group of friends is key to being a reasonably empathetic and generally caring person. If the people in your friend circle aren't people you genuinely care about, then you probably aren't going to be good friends to one another which, in the end, is toxic on both ends. Another scenario where this is also bad is when one friend cares and the other doesn't, that is when learning to let go is important to move on from fruitfulness friendships.

4. Love thyself.

Loving yourself is the most important point amongst this list. When you love yourself, and I mean truly, unapologetically love yourself, you do a better job at loving and caring for others. I know our generation is in an overhyped "moment" of self care, but it is important to take advantage of this and actually incorporate self care into your daily regimen until death do us part.

5. Forgiveness

A lot of the "I don't give a shit" mentality comes from people who have had their heart, spirit, and soul scarred by people who did not care for them either at all or properly. This then transcended to a whole lot of internalized anger and projection onto others. Forgiveness is a gift to yourself, and is more freeing of your own self than you could ever imagine. Forgiveness of others allows you to accept and move on, giving yourself and others the opportunity to grow and continue on with their lives.

6. Grow up.

This one is pretty straight forward. Not giving a shit has become vastly more popular amongst young adults and people completely into their adulthood than I thought it to be when I was a young girl. As a young girl, I didn't care about shit people did or said in general. I became a more conscious, caring person as my senior year of high school it and as I went into college. As you grow older, you learn more about people of other culture and worldly issues, gradually making you a more well rounded person.

7. Read, watch, & learn about worldly news.

I know this one is cringe-worthy, especially in the economic state we're currently in, but the best way to care about people you don't know, nor have never met, is to read and watch news from around the world to get a better understanding of what's happening outside of your little "bubble" world or community. But also, know when to turn off the news because it will reek havoc on your life if you over do it.

8. Learn to love new things.

I find this one personally difficult but have learned to overcome it by trying new things and stepping out of my comfort zone. Being content can often times lead to a lack of growth in your life where you continuously go through your daily life following a recycled routine from AM to PM. Try something new once in a while and even learn something new, you never know what you'll love doing that you've never done before. This way you can meet new people while learning to care for activities you never thought were important.

9. Don't be selfish.

Being selfish is one of the number one reasons for not caring about people, so learn to stop being so self absorbed in your own little world. The world does not revolve around you and the sooner you realize that someway or another what happens to other people will affect you, the quicker the world can become a better place.

10. Direct Connections

Just because issues that are happening around the world don't directly affect you and yours (family/friends), that doesn't mean you get to check out. Learn how you can help to make the world a better place for everyone instead of just the people you know and love.