I think I figured out why I can't improve my talent and how I can go against that. What do you think?

Question

I'm 17 and I've had problems my entire life. I've never been considered "normal" because of some of the things I would do. My dad had problems with alcohol and yadayadayada. A lot of the stuff I have seen affects me bably today. It's not limited to simply what I have said. There's a whole bunch of things I can't really talk about. Anyways I've dealt with depression for the past few years and have just been unwilling to do things. I have no friends and don't feel like trying to to make any. I've never been motivated to try to improve myself. That's my problem. What I figured out is that I'm not motivated because I'm not willing to work for it. I have talent in acting and wrting and I've never really tried out for a lot of plays, except for a couple I was in. I also know how to play music and really want to get into visual art. The way I see it is that I should give up on trying to gain new artistic skills, for now at least. It's simply making me too depressed. I have really low self-confidence and trying to gain new skills during that time is very difficult. So I figured I should just leave it alone for a little bit. I think what might help me is to try to work at what I already have seeing as it's easier. I was also thinking that getting a job would help me as I want to move out as soon as possible anyways. So basically the way I want to work it all is to just start simple and take small steps. Before I can really try to improve my skill in art, I should first try to get my confidence up. To get my confidence up, I should stick with the talents I already have and work with it, plus get a job to get my out of the house more. Once I have more confidence, than I can gradually move on to harder things. I think that's the best way for me to go. So what do you think? Do I sound stupid or what?

Answer 1

Your enemy is YOU! You have an auto-immune emotional disorder. This means that your negative emotions are attacking your every thought and desire. Think about this you have over 10 billion cells in your brain and you are lying to yourself by cutting yourself down.

You want to know about not having friends and being not normal. I walked on ONE leg until I was 12 and had HUGE forest gump style braces. I was attacked by several kids at once when I was lured into someone's back yard when I was crippled. I had NO friends at all! My childhood basically consisted of watching my mother iron clothes. I watched four walls and was picked on and called weird at school EVERY DAY FOR EIGHT YEARS!

I was different than you though. I became an extreme optimist and you are a pessimist. You will NEVER be happy unless you change you attitude and appreciate what you have. Try walking around with only one leg for just one day! Lift it in the air and hop around. I did this for over 4000 days!

You seam to be very talented and I think you are a good person by how

as you wrote you were more and more positive as you wrote. Bruce Willis was just a bartender. Clint Eastwood was a fireman. Robert Duvalle and Dustin Hoffman rented an apartment together because that's all they could afford. Al Pacino waited on tables. You CAN do it!

ACTION is the key to beating depression! Just stay busy and positive and you will never be depressed. When you do get temporarily depressed don't think of it as bad,but look at it as that there's a lesson you need to learn. Depression come back when you don't learn how to get stronger.

Good luck! You are a lot better than you think. Also NOBODY is normal! The people that you think that are more normal than you just don't take chances.

Did you know that around the year 1900 the man that though of how radio waves could transport sound waves though the air was almost committed to an insane asylum by his OWN FRIENDS!

Dream, be positive and remember it's more important to feel positive than trying to think positive.

Answer 2

I think that is a good idea. If that is what you really want to do (acting and writing) then set your mind to it and go for it!. I've been through depressions before and doing the things I love to do helped pull me out of them and not care so much anymore. Also I think you should try and make some friends they also really helped me get through things, or atleast have someone (besides a councoler) (excuse my spelling) to talk to.

Answer 3

Focus on the positives not the negatives. Focus on the strengths you enjoy - discard all else. Google a short piece & read it then focus again. Focus should be the key word in your life & you will find where you want to go, and get there, so much easier and with fun rather than hardship.

With very best wishes, for now & your future. UK

Answer 4

The most important thing to realize is that you are very young and you have a long life ahead of you. Don't take things so serious. Enjoy the moment while striving  a little to improve yourself  each day. Don't wait to do the things you want until you are "happy." Happiness exists on a continuum scale, there is no point at which you reach "it." There is only increasing or decreasing satisfaction with your accomplishments.

  Stay away from drugs and alchohol (moderate or no use) and eat a good diet and do strenuos exercise for your depression. Also, don't eat a lot of sugar or caffiene as it can cause mood swings.

  Learn to express your anger at people verbally, as repressed anger turns to depression.

  Treat people with respect and demand the same from others.

  Realize that no one is perfect and neither are you-so be forgiving of them and yourself.

  Realize it's more satisfying to create than to destroy, so use and improve your talents daily.

Finally, understand you can only control so much in your life, the rest is destiny or random events.  

Answer 5

There is a saying, if anything matters then everything matters. First off your not being stupid or sounding that way, asking questions is never being foolish or stupid. What the heck is Normal anyways...artists are NEVER normal...I know I am one. As far as your parents and past, dont let the past rob you of your future. If you didnt know what you couldnt do, what would you do? Lets look at what your saying here, it seems your very hard on your self about alot of things. You seem to be unsatisfied with what you do or dont do...how are you supposed to win like that? I know my art is an escape for me and it is not easy to do new things when I dont feel good about myself, but art can help you to discover alot about yourself and give you an avenue to vent...but quit judging if it is good or bad, Picasso thougth his art was c**p at times, yet it sells today for millions of dollars...you need to do some soul searching and find out who you want to be and give yourself the chance to do so. Explore your feelings and enjoy what you do, without regard of looking at it thru a microscope, Art is good for that too. What is making you depressed is that you are trying to fit yourself in a box and your not a box type person, most likely to try to please someone near you or not...be kind to your self and just let it flow. Art is a gift that comes thru your heart, not a skill you aquire. If you have it, then you can skillfully make it better, but your desire to want it tells me you are probably a true artist and we tend to be emotional people who have a hard time "fitting" in to the "normal" box, so quit beating yourself up for it...you can see some of my art at www.rowdysunsetart.com I started when I was young. Dont give up on Art or yourself...be kind to who you are and try new things, but dont judge them. If you dont like who you are, change...to thine own self be true...one good thing too is baby steps...you will do fine...if you need lessons let me know, I teach for free sometimes if someone really wants to learn. I have a feeling your going to be a great....whatever you want to be...if you give it the kind of determination you show here.