There’s an old saying, “No man is an island.”
That’s the design, anyway. I have heard that in order to fully flourish we need both a source of input to our souls and a source of output. A pond with no input or output eventually evaporates. A pond with an output with no input will quickly be drained. With no input, a pond’s water grows too salty to use.
In order for human beings to function best, we need a steady input of inspiration and warmth. That inspiration and warmth should combine with our own thoughts and sentiments and increase; and then we should allow it to flow out to enrich others.
You may think, “Ha! I’m a zero—I have nothing profound to offer!”
Everybody’s got something to offer; who says it has to be “profound”?
And we may feel that we have no opportunity for meaningful interaction with others. For a long time when we were drinking, we grew more and more isolated and self-absorbed; so when we quit we can feel terribly alone and cut off from the rest of humanity.
There are environments that specialize in welcoming “outcasts” like us: AA groups, churches and other places of worship, and online forums dedicated to special common interests (like SR). Look for contact that inspires you; limit contact that aggravates you.
And then look for areas in which your ideas and insights can flow out to others. Any of the above places will work—also consider volunteering in your community. That will take your gaze out of your own navel and help you to connect with and care about others.
Whatever endeavor you choose to invest in, give it your very best. Don’t try something just for five minutes, then walk away when there’s not an immediate payoff. The key is to invest yourself. Be willing to put time and work into your relationships. Force yourself to develop patience (if you have a HP, definitely ask for help. It’s hard to switch to better mindsets in our own strength).
The only way to discover what all you have to give is to start trying to give something. You’ll find it easier as you go along—and it will bring you true joy to bring joy to others.
But you can’t give what you don’t have. Look for people (including a HP), books and other materials that bring you joy. Enrich yourself, and then you’ll be happy to enrich others.
Your life will no longer be stagnant if you have both inflow and outflow.