| In the game of life, enthusiasm can make the | | | | How is enthusiasm acquired? |
| difference between winning or losing. Enthusiasm is | | | | Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Nothing great was |
| contagious; it is an emotion that can be | | | | ever achieved without enthusiasm." |
| communicated more easily than words. It is a force | | | | Charles Schwab started out as a laborer and ended |
| that springs from person to person like an electrical | | | | up as chairman of the board in the Bethlehem Steel |
| spark. It is almost impossible to be exposed to | | | | Company has said, "A person can succeed at |
| enthusiasm for any length of time without acquiring | | | | anything for which there is Enthusiasm." |
| some of it. | | | | As a football coach, I was teaching a young player to |
| I learned this lesson when I was a teacher. We had | | | | tackle. I told him to throw his heart into the tackle |
| an in-service meeting after school. The meeting was | | | | and his body would follow. |
| about teaching reading. I had no interest in teaching | | | | If you're going to be enthusiastic you must first want |
| reading; I was a physical education teacher. I did not | | | | to be! If you're mired in self pity, criticism and a lot of |
| want to attend that meeting but it was mandatory. | | | | negative thinking about your job and your position in |
| Needless to say, I attended. | | | | life, enthusiasm is not going to ascend from the |
| I'll never forget the presenter. His name was Tony | | | | heavens like a bolt of lightning and strike positive life |
| Dibiasio and he was a teacher from Lakewood, Ohio. | | | | into you. |
| When he started talking about reading, a subject I | | | | Look at the word enthusiasm. Now look at the last |
| had no interest in, almost immediately I was caught | | | | four letters - iasm. "I am sold on myself." I'm talking |
| up because the speaker was totally caught up in his | | | | about the affirmation "Be the model yourself." I'm |
| subject. He totally believed in the techniques of | | | | talking about your self image. Liking yourself is a big |
| teaching reading and he loved it. | | | | part of enthusiasm. |
| His enthusiasm energized the whole audience and | | | | Look at the letters again - iasm. "I am sold on my |
| everybody was listening to him. Not only did I learn | | | | product." You totally believe in what you are doing |
| about how to teach reading, which I used later in my | | | | whether it be teaching, selling, homemaking, |
| career, but I saw the importance of enthusiasm and | | | | engineering, whatever it may be. Loving what you do |
| what it would do for a non-interested audience. | | | | is also a part of enthusiasm. Combine belief in what |
| Almost all aspects of life requires some skill in | | | | you're doing and loving your product with liking |
| persuading or motivating people, and there is no | | | | yourself... Now you're going to have an enthusiastic |
| characteristic that will help you more than enthusiasm. | | | | individual! |
| There's the story of a saleman named Harry who | | | | You don't need to be loud or boisterous to emit |
| broke every rule in selling that was ever written. But | | | | enthusiasm. Just the quiet confidence that you have, |
| before the sales meetings, his sales manager would | | | | the way you look people in the eye, the smile you |
| tell him, "Now Harry, I am going to teach the other | | | | have on your face, the way you shake hands, the |
| salesman how to sell. I want you to sit in the back of | | | | way you take an order and even the way you walk |
| the room and ignore everything I'm saying. You keep | | | | can express enthusiasm and denote inner confidence. |
| on making the same mistakes that you have been | | | | You can be very quiet and sincere and people will still |
| making." | | | | pick up on your enthusiasm. |
| You see, Harry was his top salesman and it was no | | | | It's easier than you think to become a natural |
| mystery to his sales manager why. He revealed, "I | | | | wellspring of enthusiasm that energizes and |
| have never seen a salesman with more enthusiasm | | | | motivates everyone you contact. Just focus on |
| than Harry. He seems to have so much faith and | | | | integrating these four basic principles into your daily |
| conviction about the product, he cannot keep it | | | | life; Love what you do, believe in your product, like |
| bottled up. He just seems to bubble all the time. | | | | yourself and spend time with other enthusiastic |
| Harry isn't selling, he's on a crusade to convince | | | | people on a regular basis. When you do, your life and |
| everyone he contacts that they would be better off | | | | achievements will change dramatically, even within the |
| owning his product. You can't stop a guy like that." | | | | first month! Start today. |