Choose to Enthuse!

As I've been speaking around the country over the past year or so, I've often asked my audiences this question: "How many of you have way too much enthusiasm? You're seeing a psychiatrist for enthusiasm management therapy, and have a seatbelt on your bed to keep you from jumping out too fast in the morning and breaking a leg?" I get lots of laughs, but almost no one raises a hand.

Then I ask how many people would be happier, more productive, and more successful if they could consistently be more enthusiastic than they are now. Almost every hand in the room goes up (those who don't raise their hands are invited to attend my remedial class on honesty).

The good news, I tell them, is that scientists have shown that there is no enthusiasm gene. Enthusiasm is a choice. You decide every morning whether or not you're going to have a good day. You can't decide what happens to you, but you can decide whether you react to it enthusiastically.

Choosing enthusiasm is the triple crown of attitude. Your organization wins because enthusiasm is the added "spark" that puts the smile into customer service. Your family, friends and coworkers win because enthusiasm is contagious, and you're helping them to be happier and more productive.

And, of course, you win because people with a lot of enthusiasm have a lot of life, and people without enthusiasm don't. They're like the man who passed away but had his life insurance denied, because since he'd never really lived, he couldn't have really died.

Energy is the fuel for enthusiasm - it's hard to be enthusiastic when you're physically out of gas. And here again, there's good news: more than we care to admit to ourselves, whether or not we have energy is also a choice.

And here's more good news: human energy is the ultimately renewable resource. The more you use it, the more of it you have.


Joe Tye is president of Paradox 21 Inc., which provides corporate training and culture change initiatives based on a proprietary curriculum of The Twelve Core Action Values of Personal Leadership Effectiveness. He is also the author of several books and audio programs on personal, career, and business success, and a popular motivational speaker. Visit http://www.joetye.com