-- Posted by hI jAMES at 3:36 pm on July 2, 2009 I was just thinking about how I've really neglected eHelp and the Serious Forum (The other topic in this forum helped).  I just answered a topic in the Serious Forum and so I was encouraged to come up with some sort of plan to keep it up.  I don't see very many replies in the Serious Forum from me.  I saw 3 including archive.  I thought I had more than 3, but I'll take it.  I feel this is very bad on my part.  Only 3 ?!?!?!?  I remember a line on my SL application from 2008 being, "I then look at the Serious Forum section and am just amazed at the lack to help.  0,1, and 2 replies are not what LiveWire is about."  I coincidentally applied for SL when the responses were kinda low.  So then I think about it now and I just feel ashamed.  Yes, I went through some stages.  I'm still in one right now.  But when I think more and more about, it comes down to just a matter of laziness.  Making up an excuse that I would tell myself so many times that it actually did become logical and seem like the only truth.  It took me a while to finally realize this and I plan to do something about it. And I was wondering if maybe some of you already do this: How about an own personal quota?  It doesn't have to be anything fancy or extreme or "LW official."  It would depend on my schedule though.  The idea is to have some sort of goal that I can attain.  This can be a monthly, or weekly, goal.  Maybe 5 a month.  4.  3.  Maybe even more.  With goals, I can continue to do what I once wanted to do so badly and be consistent at it. I think we grow as humans when we help other people.  We get a chance to view the world, whatever little amount it is.  Through experience and thinking about possible options for other people we become stronger thinkers and doers.  Helping other people may even help ourselves.  I remember doing one eHelp when I felt like crap and after reading the response I gave, I actually realized a few things about myself and my own situation. I do realize we go through some rough times.  Times so rough that we barely want to see the next day.  And that's fine.  Maybe with goals to answer eHelps and reply in the Serious Forum though, we can stay that much more motivated to consistently help others. I'm sorry if this doesn't make too much sense.  It's just what I was feeling and I thought I'd share.  Maybe some of you don't agree with having these sort of goals because of certain circumstances.    For however many SLs want to try this, I wish you the best.  This is personally something I'm going to do and hopefully it helps me. -- Posted by SoaringFalcon2010 at 3:39 pm on July 2, 2009 hum. I don't even think I've done any serious forum replies...I do more ehelps(Ive done like 10+ this week) so that ain't a bad idea. I need to work with the serious forum as well. -- Posted by SpRiNgS at 4:22 pm on July 2, 2009 I do a few serious replies where I can help the most -- Posted by The Mixed Tape at 4:39 pm on July 2, 2009 I attempt to do at least one or two a week when I am in school. Since it's summer, I try to do at least one a day. I do still respond to normal topics regarding help, although I do neglect the Serious Forum and often forget it. I think I've only ever responded to maybe... two or three topics... ever. I do agree that we grow as humans when we help people. It opens up a world much different then ours and in a sense, helps us discover answers to our own individual problems we may have. It's also always a pleasing experience when I'm able to share my life stories and explain how I got through them, hoping to better put in reality their issue and how they should respond. We do go through times in our lives which may be rough and hard. This causes us to be unable to respond to eHelps. I know you might be going through one now, but the point being you are still here and making a conscious effort to do better and push forward. I know, from experience, I was going through a tough time. Isobel, actually, was there to catch me when I fell and after that, I responded to two, maybe three eHelps. I guess it also has to do with how many eHelps are in the queue and the subjects which encompass them. Since we are receiving them so slow lately, I will surely go and head over to the Serious Forum every now and then. (Made perfect sense. (:) -- Posted by Tavis at 5:38 pm on July 2, 2009 I wish I could even make a reply, let alone an eHelp response. Yes, it is summer, and last summer that would have been prime time, but this summer, I'm really busy. I socialize every day, and if I don't, it is because I'm working. But on top of that, I don't even have a computer. All I have to use isn't iPhone. And it doesn't set me in the mood to support people -- Posted by Hi Carie at 7:17 am on July 3, 2009 THis is a fabulous reminder of how much we need to be doing to keep livewire strong and supportive. Thanks James! -- Posted by Kinky Kitten at 6:32 am on July 4, 2009 Goals are a good idea, and you are right when you help others you in turn end up helping yourself in some way at least. To me giving the advice makes me realise well that im not just a kid who doesent know anything anymore, i help and i like the fact that i make a change even if its on a small scale. I never really done goals for myself, but i...well i wrote a topic into the serious forum and i realised that the feeling of it not being answer is horrible...makes you think that your hopeless and no one can help you...your fucked!!! Thats why i decided to do more of them and went back to past pages to look for any topics with zero responses. Im glad your going to do more of the serious forum!! Thank you.