why am i seldom content?

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hello stranger, i would love some advice. why can i never be content with anything? i get super interested in something that i have yet to do, and then as soon as i start doing it my interest in it slopes to nothing until i get interested in it again. its as though i like the idea of doing things that other people enjoy more than the activity itself. i go from thing to thing to thing, expecting fulfillment out of any one thing that i try. for example, i went to the library to find a book that would change my life in some way. i wanted to have all the answers written out to me, so that i could solve all my problems at once. i ended up checking out a self help book, that turned out to be for people that have serious life hurdles. i got discouraged, and stopped reading any of it.. i tried meditation before, to gain some piece of mind, but i only “successfully” did it a couple times. i want to go to college for something but the level of interest i take in things fluctuates so much i dont know what i would do there. in a way, i believe i self-medicate. when i feel un-stimulated, i drink something caffeinated, when im bored ill smoke weed or drink a few beers and play video games. i love playing guitar, and would love to get good at it, but i discourage myself often. i am tired of being un-focused and un-commited. im sick of not achieving goals because of my fluctuating mood. i don’t know what i expect as an answer, but thanks in advance

asked April 19, 2013

1 Answer

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Well, Anon, the only thing I can really think to say is keep trying.Well, take that back. The law abiding citizen in me says that you should not smoke weed unless it's legal in your place of residence. Healthy or not, if it's illegal it's a stressor and stress seems like the last thing you need right now.
But back to the persistence thing; that sloping interest is something I've felt. There's really not much that I could do about it except wait it out, try new things, and try old things that I used to like. It was kind of a phase.
As for the "success" in meditation, if you've tranced out at all, then good for you, but that's not the only benefit of meditation. That trance isn't even meditation: it's self-hypnosis. Useful, yes, but not meditation. The act of meditation itself calms your thoughts just by forcing you to set them aside for a while. I've never been able to self-hypnotize, but I still use meditation to calm myself, and it works.
If it's anger that's messing with your thoughts, which I don't think it is but I feel like I should say this anyway, there are two different things to do. If your heart rate is down, meditation is the best thing. If it's already accelerated, however, and you can do so without injuring someone else (mentally or physically), vent. Then meditate once you run out of steam to blow. In general, try calming your thoughts after expending excess energy.