Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm

Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you want to be enthusiastic, act enthusiastic.

Dale Carnegie

There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment … It gives warmth and good feeling to all your personal relationships.

Norman Vincent Peale

It's faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes life worth living.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

How much enthusiasm do you have for what you are doing at work today? This week, month and year? Enthusiasm, I believe, is a yardstick for the passion we have for what we do. It is difficult to believe a person who doesn’t show any enthusiasm when he tells you he is passionate about his work. We give so much more attention to anything that is authentically conveyed with enthusiasm. We are so much more disbelieving and untouched by any message that is communicated with indifference.

We may ask the question: are some people born with enthusiasm and others not? Is it a personality trait? I don’t believe so. If you look for it you will find enthusiasm in all kinds of people, from all walks of life and in all professions - extroverts and introverts, young and old, farmers and hunters. Furthermore, in the same people you will find times when they are not as energetic and enthusiastic. An enthusiastic person is someone whom we perceive to be mostly enthusiastic - not always and in all situations.

Enthusiasm, however, is not a mood that depends on how a person feels when getting up in the morning. I guess it is influenced by our mood though and that an enthusiastic person is less so when he hears disappointing or bad news. However, I think it is more a habit and even discipline to work on than merely a moment of inspiration or good feeling that comes and goes. Dedication and enthusiasm goes hand in hand. Enthusiasm that is contagious is enthusiasm in thedoingof something (even if it is appreciating something) or at least the anticipation of something that will get done. Enthusiasm is not passive, it is energetic, focused and positive.

Dale Carnegie said a wise word when he said: If you want to be enthusiastic, act enthusiastic. It is in our interactions with others when enthusiasm is visible and becomes a positive influence. To work on your own levels of enthusiasm you therefor need to consciously choose to be enthusiastic in you interactions with people. That is listening with interest, responding warmly and positively and follow through on agreements and undertakings.

Choosing to act enthusiastic will be choosing to say certain things and not say others. Do you see enthusiasm in someone who says the following:

‘Don’t ask me. I’m just doing a job here.’

‘That will never work.’

‘Do as you please. I don’t care.’

‘Sorry, that’s the rules.’

‘Let them sort it out.’

And then someone who says:

‘Let us explore the possibilities.’

‘Let me know how I can support you.’

‘I’m looking forward to see your progress.’

‘I believe we can make a difference.’

‘Let’s do it.’

Enthusiasm is something to work on by making conscious choices about our attitude and the positive or negative mood we communicate. The power of the choice for enthusiastic responses is that it change the climate we work in and comes back to us as something positive, one way or another.

- Gerhard van Rensburg

See other writings by Gerhard