The Power of Enthusiasm
Could you use more enthusiasm in your life? The benefits of living a more enthusiastic life can't be overstated …
You'll have more confidence.
You'll be more productive.
People will view you in a more positive light, which will open you up to more and better opportunities.
Plus, you'll experience more peace of mind at the end of every day.
So how do you go about it? Here are some great tips to foster your enthusiasm.
1. Love what you do and do what you love. Let’s face it it’s easy to generate enthusiasm than to be engaged in something you enjoy and to do work that you’re passionate about. How about if you don’t love what you do? Find ways to love it; many years ago I inspired by the enthusiasm and engagement at a US Fish Market. Seattle's Pike Place Fish is a world famous market that is wildly successful thanks to its fun, bustling, joyful atmosphere and great customer service. How they work is now called “the FISH Philosophy” and is used in many training organisations around the world.
2. Surround yourself with people who are enthusiastic and optimistic. Enthusiasm is contagious; when you’re around people who are enthusiastic about their lives and about their work, their enthusiasm will rub off on you.
3. Ask questions. If you want to generate enthusiasm in others, ask them questions. Questions stir up ideas, arouse response, stimulate interest, and create desire. That is, they generate enthusiasm. Customers love them too.
4. Develop the right attitude In order to generate enthusiasm is to have the right attitude. Attitude is getting the right slant on the thing you are doing.
5. Be Present. It’s very difficult to generate enthusiasm when half of your mind is on one thing, and the other half is thinking of something else.
6. Get your energy level up. It’s hard to generate enthusiasm when you feel tired. Make sure that you have the physical energy to be able to generate lots of enthusiasm by getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, and getting regular exercise.
7. Lower your levels of “bad” stress. Stress isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, if you want to achieve anything noteworthy in life, some tension is necessary. However bad stress is when you’re pushing yourself too hard and you begin to feel overwhelmed and that you’re losing control. Bad stress will zap away at your energy and make your enthusiasm plummet.
8. Fake it until you make it. If you’re trying to generate enthusiasm, use the body posture and the tone of voice that you use when you’re talking about something that fills you with excitement. Move and talk as if you’re full of enthusiasm, and your emotions will soon follow suit.
9 Don’t dwell on the negative – And stop worrying about things you can’t change.
10. Remember, you choose how you view the world – Henry Ford once said … “You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. With it, there is accomplishment. Without it there are only alibis.”
Remember enthusiasm is contagious and people want to catch it. Yes sometimes people may roll their eyes at your enthusiasm, but really they want some too.
Recently we were researching information on Enthusiasm and came across this great story from an article from John Wood a couple of years ago …
The year was 1907 …
Frank Bettger received the shock of his life when his manager informed him he was fired from his Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Tri-State baseball team because he was too lazy.
On his way out the door, his manager told Bettger to put some life and enthusiasm into his work.
Upon reporting to his new team in Chester, Pennsylvania, in the Atlantic League, Bettger went from making $175 per month to just $25 per month.
Unhappy about his demotion and his dramatic drop in pay, Bettger decided to take the manager’s advice to heart and inject some enthusiasm into his game. It wasn't long before people began to take notice. He soon landed a position with the New Haven, Connecticut, team in the New England League.
Inspired by his promotion, he made up his mind to build himself a reputation for being one of the most enthusiastic ball players in the league. The New Haven newspaper took notice:
“This new player, Bettger, has a barrel of enthusiasm. He inspired our boys. They not only own the game, but looked better than at any time this season.”
Within 10 days, his enthusiasm had catapulted him from $25 a month to $185 a month. It didn’t happen because he suddenly became a better ball player – it happened solely because he added enthusiasm to his game.
Two years later, an injury forced Bettger to give up playing ball. Bettger then channelled his enthusiasm into a 32-year-long successful sales career. He later wrote the inspirational book How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling in which he observed that …
“Enthusiasm is by far the highest paid quality on earth, probably because it is one of the rarest; yet it is one of the most contagious.”
