I had the opportunity of learning this while going through a very challenging life experience that left me moving through extremes of raw pain and complete numbness. I began wondering what was going on and how I could suddenly stop being invested in my own healing. I was worried that I didn’t care about the things I loved anymore. This apathy started to permeate aspects of my life I had been previously very passionate about and that were fading into the backdrop of my life, like old photographs left in the sun.The vibrancy was gone and I thought I would never get it back.
Through this experience I learned that apathy is a necessary step on any healing journey. We hit a plateau, take a breath and look at the situation from the eagle eye view.
Apathy is the time and space to integrate a painful, intense or extreme experience. It is the time to disconnect from our ongoing activities, conversations and external dealings to connect within, and review everything from a place of distance, stillness and undisturbed peace.
Just like when you eat a full plate of food one bite as a time, this selective focus helps you determine where to place your energy at any given moment, and is an opportunity to take stock of our lives and redirect our intention. Apathy is the first step in putting the breaks on a downward spiral and shifting back into a path guided by purpose and mindfulness.
When used wisely, apathy is a space for gentle self-reflection and subtle but powerful healing.