Grateful for Enthusiasm (TY-15)

I truly appreciate enthusiasm especially in others. It is fun to be enthusiastic and it is wonderful to see enthusiasm in others. It is contagious. Enthusiasm is one of my favorite words as it expresses joy in action; it is having a keen interest, excitement, fervor or zeal in a cause or subject. It is cheerful and exciting because it expresses a higher level of energy. It is being passionate with joy for those items in our life that we consider important. Enthusiasm is a word that has its origins in the Greek language for “inspired by God.”

Enthusiasm is tossed into a group of such delicious words  such as: ardor, avidity, conviction, craze, dash, devotion, eagerness, earnestness, ecstasy, élan, emotion, energy, exhilaration, fanaticism, feeling, fervor,  fire, flame, flare, frenzy, fury, gaiety, glow, gusto, heat, hilarity, hobby, impetuosity, intensity, interest, joy, keenness, life, mania, mirth, nerve, oomph, orgasm, passion, pep, rapture, relish, snap, spirit, transport, vehemence, verve, vim, vivacity, warmth, zeal, zealousness, and zest

Norman Vincent Peale stated, “If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.” 

I agree wholeheartedly with Norman Vincent Peale. I have yet to find people who are not affected by my enthusiasm. Case in point, as I was returning from a bittersweet trip to Rhode Island and I was standing among many tired co-travelers as we waited at the gate for our carry-on luggage that was too large for the overhead compartments. No one was smiling except me.

Taking notice of all the glum and weariness, I made a point to become enthusiastic about getting my luggage, having made a safe trip to our destination and being minutes away from a warm bed.  I soon had most of us equally enthusiastic, too. It was great to see others smile with me. I think there was only one older woman in her twilight years who hung onto her scowl. Given a little more time, I believe I would have gotten a hint of a smile from her, too. 

This leads me to a quote by Charles Schwab, “A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.”  And, Vince Lombardi said, “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.” (He cracks me up!)  Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, “Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.”  

In the words of Henry Ford: Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.

In my words, enthusiasm is the twinkle in my toes and the wiggle in my nose; it is the swing in my hips and the smile upon my lips! Enthusiasm is the thumping of my heart to the beat of my ideas that drums out a rhythm of inspiration for all to see. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes wonderfully sums it up, “It’s FAITH IN something and  ENTHUSIASM FOR something that makes LIFE WORTH LIVING.” Are you embracing your ENTHUSIASM FOR something?

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Imagine Your Future

All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.
Brian Tracy
Live out of your imagination, not your history.
Stephen Covey
We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish those goals.
Stephen Covey
I believe in the imagination. What I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see.
Duane Michals

The imagination plays a vital role in shaping the future of successful people. Inside every successful person is an imagination that permitted him or her to visualize his or her future. They were able to place themselves in their dreams, which in turn allows them to make choices and decisions that move them closer to their goals and their successes. Each of us can choose to open our hearts, minds and souls to possibilities or not. It is as Henry Ford stated, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

Consider the possibilities and have fun in the playground of imagination! What do you have to lose by seeing yourself as everything you hope to be for a few minutes? Place yourself a year or two in the future and imagine yourself in your “dream” life. What are you doing? Who are you doing it with? Where are you? What are you feeling, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling? Explore all your senses in your future self. Look back at your past/present self from your future self, and consider everything you did to get you to where you are now (in the future)? This takes practice, but once you make this a daily ritual, you will see events unfold before you that you probably never imagined before. Try and delight in this. See what happens. Ultimately, every choice is up to you.

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