The Mystery Behind Enthusiasm

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There has been so much written on the subject of enthusiasm that it could probably fit a volume of an encyclopedia. Every great man or woman that has spoken on the subject has recognized the magical power of enthusiasm. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved." That is a pretty powerful statement! Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Enthusiasm is a volcano on whose top never grows the grass of hesitation.” Denis Waitley said, “Get excited and enthusiastic about your own dream. This excitement is like a forest fire - you can smell it, taste it, and see it from a mile away.” Norman Vincent Peale wrote, “Enthusiasm … spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” The list goes on and on.

What is this magical power that everyone talks about? Where does it come from? How can you get it if you don’t have it? Those are important questions. What I find interesting is that out of all that has been written about enthusiasm, very little attention is given to these questions. Let’s look at the word a bit closer. The English word “enthusiasm” comes from two Greek terms, “En” and “Theos”. Most of our English language is taken from both Greek and Latin since these languages existed before English. The Greek word “En” means “in”, and the Greek word “Theos” means “God”. So the translation literally means “In God”. I have always found that interesting. Yet very little is said about this in the literature I have read on the subject of enthusiasm. Everyone that has written anything on enthusiasm will tell you it is something that comes from deep inside us. When we are enthusiastic, we are at our very best. We are the most sincere when we are enthused. We can win arguments, we can sell anything to anybody, and we can win at a job interview and get that job we have always wanted. We can achieve fantastic things when we are enthusiastic. We feel great when we are enthusiastic don’t we? I am convinced that enthusiasm is the power of God within us. En-Theos means in God. When we are enthused we exhibit that power; people can see it and feel it; but few are willing to admit what it really is because of the religious overtones that are associated with this line of thought.

I am sure you heard it said that enthusiasm is catchy. There is no secret there. If you are in God when you are enthusiastic, and people catch your enthusiasm, it’s not “your” enthusiasm they are catching; it is the power of God that is within the both of you. When two people are enthused about the same thing at the same time they are in God, or God is in them. This is no mystery to me and it shouldn’t shock anyone who is reading this unless you are touchy about religious overtones. I think there is a world of difference between religion and spirituality and what I am talking about here is pure spirituality not religion. In fact, I personally can vouch for the fact that I have never heard a discussion about enthusiasm like this in a church. The sooner you can get over the prejudice you may have about religious overtones the sooner you can begin accepting what true enthusiasm is.

Once we cross that bridge many things become possible. For example, we can answer such questions as were posed at the beginning of this article. The first was, “What is this magical power that everyone talks about?” It is now obvious that it is the spark of life within us all, the burning fire of God’s power within us. The second question was, “Where does it come from?” The power comes from within but it originates from God. The third question was,” How do you get it if you don’t have it?” The simple answer is you already have it inside you; we all do! If you feel you don’t have it, it’d because something is preventing that power from coming out. Shyness can stop it. Insecurity or low self-esteem can stop it. Fear can stop it. Your belief system can stop it.

If you want to get it back, there is no mystery about that. We can all get our enthusiasm going by getting in touch with ourselves. That of course is the simple answer because time does not allow us to elaborate here. However, I would recommend attending a self-empowerment seminar, or read a good book that moves you. Everyone is different and you need to find what moves you. When you do you will have accomplished much. Most people don’t know what motivates them. I could find that out about you in a one hour workshop.

As you go out into the world today feel that power that is within you. Understand that you have it just as much as everyone else does. God was not exclusive when he handed out enthusiasm. In fact it may surprise you to learn that your enthusiasm existed right along with His from a long time ago. Remember you have the spark of life within you. You can do anything you put your mind to. That is self-empowerment!

John Cyr, is a retired workforce development trainer and motivational consultant who publishes articles and editorials under the pen-name Cyreous. He advocates transformative learning as the key learning method for trainers and educators and shares this information at http://www.cyreousquotes.com.

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