I get this type of question more often than not from clients…and it’s posed in a few different ways. I too have asked myself from time to time “what the hell is going on with me?!”

But the gist of the feeling (or question) is something like this…  “I’ve lost interest in people, friends, work or family”, a gnawing feeling of dread and/or anxiety… the loss of curiosity for studying, or spiritual growth… and sometimes the total bottoming out of energy which often gets labeled “depression”.

It’s hard for me to communicate or deliver the fundamental question to clients because we are so “in it” (in the experience of it) that we miss a crucial stage.

In my world, there are two categories of complaints we as humans express.

There are the symptoms of a situation or issue (which has the most acute form of attention), and then there are root issues… which would be the deeper question or “cause” for the complaint.

”Why am I here?”

“What’s the meaning of life?”

“What am I suppose to be doing with myself?”

“Why am I so unhappy?”

Emotional Investment

At our core we are all emotional beings. Virtually every decision, reaction and behavior comes, on some level, from an emotional need or desire. While we love to see ourselves as essentially logical, rational, pragmatic creatures, the truth is, often we’re not. For the most part, we are overwhelmingly emotional beings.

Let’s pretend for a moment that you have a finite amount of emotional currency to spend each week (just like the wages you earn from work) and that you need to invest those dollars wisely to ensure the best possible return. Of course, we could argue back and forth about the notion of having a finite amount of emotional dollars to spend each day or week, but I think we can safely say that our emotional bank account is not some bottomless pit. It can run out from time to time. And for many people it does – sometimes for months or years at a time. I think we all know people who have invested their emotional dollars poorly and have suffered the consequences of living on or below the emotional poverty line.

What happens with most emotional investments is this little issue called “life”. We make the investment, expect a return, and then watch as life changes the rules. A double blow if the investment fails to return. What we need to explore is balance, common sense, and a little less attachment (all your eggs in one basket). By simply remembering you are not a bottomless pit of energy, you will begin to question what (or who) you invest your emotions in and hopefully avoid the huge disappointments that happen when your expectations are dashed