Underappreciated

Do you ever feel like you're falling over yourself to help someone or make their life easier and they don't notice?
Perhaps that description is a slight exaggeration but it doesn't seem too far from the truth. To me anyway. I guess I'm feeling a little taken for granted at the moment.
There's a lot deeper basis for the situation that is hard to explain.
I always had an issue with myself in that I take things too seriously and that clashes a bit with my predicament. Yep, those in question seem to be able to live with less commitment and thus things don't hit as hard.

OK, cut the crap. One of my better mates lives life very much on the easy side, they rarely tie themselves down and just cruise at their own pace. I envy that quite a lot. There seems to be less stress involved there, from an outsider's point of view.
The trouble is they don't realise there are other people who don't share their desert island way of life. Again I say I envy that outlook but it gets hard to deal with.

I can get a bit on the self involved side at times but I do try very hard to put my friends first. This, hence this post, at times either goes un-noticed or unappreciated. I know my own expectations can get in the way. You know what, they aren't even expectations. More idealisms. My idea of how things should be seems to vastly differ and that causes friction sometimes.
But how can it be a bad thing to consider others first and openly care for others? I just can't work that out.