The word enthusiasm is defined as strong excitement or a strong feeling of interest in something we like. It is of Greek origin and literally translates as: “manifestation of the spirit from within”.
The importance of enthusiasm in life is expressed in our voice, gestures, facial expressions, words and actions. Whether or not we feel inspired can be revealed in a simple smile or frown, standing straight or slouching, being courteous to others or distancing ourselves.
You may feel that you used to be enthusiastic about a job, relationship, or activity, but lately you feel like you’re losing your enthusiasm. This may be a sign that what you are doing today may no longer be in alignment with your inner spirit or psyche. If this disconnection is ignored, it can lead to increasing stress and anger and eventually manifest itself in physical illness. Maybe it means you need to look for a new challenge or goal, maybe it means you need to do more of the activities that give you energy and less of the activities that drain your energy, or that you need to find people, that lift you up instead of surrounding yourself with people who pull you down, or maybe it just means you need to remind yourself of the positive impact you can make in the lives of others.
Sometimes we feel that we are required to fake enthusiasm in order to be accepted by others. This can be especially true in the workplace. Organizations want employees who are fully engaged and enthusiastic, especially for jobs that require employees to play their part in society, such as waiters, cashiers, teachers and service workers. But false enthusiasm can lead us further and further away from our true selves, until one day we wake up and ask ourselves, “Who am I?” ” Striving to please others can be a dangerous trap. We have to ask ourselves: Is this a short-term challenge or will faking enthusiasm be a long-term necessity. How does this affect my personality? Do I lose trust in myself and do others lose trust in me if they sense that I am pretending too often? Will the disconnect between the image I project and who I really am lead to increased pain, stress, and other problems in my life?
True enthusiasm is an expression of our true or authentic spirit and emotions. Expressing our self is an important part of our innate human nature, inspiring not only us, but also those around us. Being honest with others leads to more transparent and authentic relationships. True enthusiasm is about our inner endowment and potential. For us to feel good, enthusiasm must be discovered, developed and expressed. If this cannot be done in paid work, it can be manifested through hobbies, which, by practicing them, make our lives more fulfilling. This is also expressed in today’s growing culture of volunteerism. It is an expression of the desire of more and more people to develop themselves through activities that cannot be applied in paid work. The emphasis here is primarily to be useful to themselves, developing their virtues and creative abilities, helping others or performing creative activities. This expresses the principle of interdependence – by helping others to develop, we develop ourselves.
When we engage in activities that we feel are meaningless, we are not living authentically, we are overwhelmed with excessive anxiety and resentment, or we complain constantly and have a negative attitude – these are all signs that we lack enthusiasm. When we engage in activities we enjoy, feel important, and have an upbeat, positive attitude, these are signs that we are living with true enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is essential to a meaningful life. It’s not what we do (what job or relationship we have), but how we do it. When we are inspired, we are open to new connections and have new thoughts and ideas. By engaging in life with genuine enthusiasm, we can interpret the people and experiences in our lives with new meaning, which in turn can make a big difference in the overall quality of our lives. Enthusiasm is an energy that makes us do things with ease. It gives us joy and pleasure, which leads us to inner satisfaction. Genuine enthusiasm is the best criterion of whether and how useful we are to ourselves and to others.
