I've been slacking off. I took sometime to analyze my life and really the lives that go on around me. I've worked on the things I've pointed out to myself in previous articles and I've worked to keep chugging forward and keep having the same passions in the things that have gotten me this far and made me who I am. But sometimes even doing the things you find so much joy in, even that can become a struggle.

I tend to live sort of a secluded life. I have good friends and good family, but I still come home and do my own thing by myself. I'm used to finding ways to entertain myself, and while some other people might not agree with my version of fun, I still do what I get the most pleasure out of. I still go out and play soccer, and I do other things as well, but I've definitely gotten into a groove of doing mostly the same things, and still being perfectly happy with them. But I know that other people have a huge problem with monotony. I do too, but mostly that's at a job, where you're not there to have fun. I don't see how enjoying yourself could be monotonous, but I digress.

Basically, I've been watching people closely. Trying to see exactly how they get by themselves: how they live and react and behave. I'm trying to weigh exactly what it is that's important in this world. I try to be a good person and help people out, but then I have this problem where I don't let the people forget that I've helped them. Most of that comes through my frustrations where someone is struggling, I'll be the first person to do everything I can to help out. But when I'm struggling, its a barren sea. I know everyone has there own lives, and own worries, and that's fine. I just have a hard time saying no.

I could really care less about money, but it's ridiculously essential to surviving in today's world, and whatever you have is never enough. Jobs don't pay as much, and if you don't come across the same opportunities as someone else, you're just asking for handouts and don't want to work hard. I keep getting told I should get food stamps or some sort of assistance but I refuse. Even people I know who really really need it refuse because everyone judges you if you can't live. No handouts for anyone because clearly, no one deserves them. No one cares about your individual story, they just care about theirs. Sob stories don't work because there are people who just make them up as excuses, and the people who are really living them now can't be trusted. If you knew a person was really homeless, someone who got the short end of the stick not from bad mistakes, but lack of fortune, would you still not help them? We have to worry about people faking being homeless just to get free money. We can't even help real people in need because we have to assume they're all money-hungry because we can't afford to give our money to someone who is going to abuse it.

It took less than a day to realize there weren't any new year's resolutions this year. Taking a short drive and getting cut off and almost forced into multiple accidents prove that more and more people are only worried about number one. And no one realizes that the only way we're gonna get anywhere in life is by helping each other. We have to pay our taxes and take care of our country and give a helping hand to those struggling and work together. We have to make the world a better place for our neighbor before it's going to be better for us. If you're not gonna help out someone, no one is going to help out you. Who is going to make your world a better place if you don't care about anyone else? You have to keep reaching out. Doing your best. And just keep finding a way to make it through every day, just like everyone else. And try not to step on people along the way. Try.