The Victory of Enthusiasm
“Every great and commanding movement in the annals of the world is due to the triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it. - Ralph Waldo Emerson: 18th century philosopher, essayist and poet.
They say the world belongs to the enthusiastic. The word ‘enthusiasm’ comes from the Greek word (entheos) and means God within. It is referring to a divine spark or fire that burns within the chest of those with a passion for a cause, job, or life in general.
Many a successful person will tell you that it’s not money, products or even training that determines your success or failure, they certainly have a role to play. But without enthusiasm nothing will happen, until you become excite and enthusiastic about what you are doing you will never achieve great success.
Someone once noted that business never really become successful until it has a leader that takes it to bed with him each night.
Actors will tell you that they become so entrenched in the character they are playing, it takes a great deal of effort to shake the character and start living normally again. Inventors/entrepreneurs become so active in their minds that they cannot sleep until they have committed their ideas to paper. What fuels this type of behavior? It is Passion! Enthusiasm- those that are fortunate to experience it, are aware of how great it is to spend their time doing what they love doing.
“Those who are fired with an enthusiastic idea and who allow it to take hold and dominate their thoughts find that new worlds open for them. As long as enthusiasm holds out, so will new opportunities.” - Norman Vincent Peale
Imagine, for one moment if you will, returning to the spirit of your youth- when each day you allowed the energy that burned within you to be shown to the world. How you didn’t want to go to bed at night because you felt there might not be a tomorrow to do what you like doing. And how, when the morning came how you would jump out of bed and run outside to go and explore the world. How you believed in your heart that anything was possible and nothing could touch you.
Where does that drive, that purpose, that fire in us go? How is it so easily lost without a fight?
“Let us beware of losing our enthusiasm. Let us ever glory in something, and strive to retain our admiration for all that would ennoble, and our interest in all that would enrich and beautify our life.”- Phillips Brooks
