Do you want to accomplish great things in your life? Then find out what you believe in, what excites you, and what sparks your intense interest. That is where you will cultivate enthusiasm and have the opportunity to achieve success.
DAY
106
“Creativity is a natural extension of our enthusiasm.”
— Earl Nightingale
Once you begin to build enthusiasm, creativity is the natural next step. You may not think you are a creative person right now, but when you find something you are passionate about, you will be surprised at how it draws out your creativity.
When you strive for success, you are searching for that one thing that really piques your interest and makes you feel as though you have something important to contribute. Once you find it, your interest and excitement build. You start to look for ways to improve all aspects of it, and then your creativity kicks in. That is when you know you are really following your destiny. Your insides are telling you that you can add value to what you are focused on. You have an impulse to get involved and make changes for the better.
Write down the names of two or three individuals who you think are creative. What character traits do they share? What do they do that makes them creative? Is creativity a designation reserved for artistic types only, or do you know of any creative people in the business world, healthcare, construction, or other fields?
Now, take a look at your own creativity. Do you consider yourself a creative person? If not, what is stopping your creativity? Can you think of ways to make it flow more freely? What can you do to nurture your creativity?
Enthusiasm and creativity are naturally linked. When you find something you really feel enthusiastic about, you will want to study it and get involved in it. Then, your creative ability will emerge—if you let it.
DAY
107
“The sense of this word among the Greeks affords the noblest definition of it: enthusiasm signifies God in us.”
— Madame de Staël
On Day 104, we mentioned that the original Greek definition of enthusiasm is “being in the presence of a God”. We haven’t really touched much on spirituality yet, but how do you feel about that definition? Does enthusiasm feel like something bigger than just you?
Explore your thoughts on the word “enthusiasm” as defined as “God in us” and write in your journal about what comes up. You can have a strong religious background or be an atheist and still ponder this definition. Being in touch with your spiritual views is a very important part of your individual identity and therefore an important ingredient for your success. You don’t have to adhere to a specific religious belief in order to be successful, but it is important to explore your beliefs and your values. The better you know yourself, the more capable you will be of reaching success.
Read the quote above one more time. What is your gut reaction to reading it? Is it negative, indifferent, or positive? Why?
Remember, there is no right or wrong answer here. The only thing you must do is be honest with yourself. You don’t have to agree with any of the statements mentioned. Explore your thoughts and emotions on the subject honestly. Do you think of enthusiasm as God within you, or do you prefer another definition? What is your favorite definition of enthusiasm? Write it down and put it somewhere you will see it at least once a day for a week.
DAY
108
“Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.”
— Bette Davis
“That’s impossible!” Dan cried when he looked over the business proposal his partner handed him. “There is no way I can find the money to start this new branch of the business. This will never work. You might as well forget about it.”
He threw the proposal back across the desk at his partner and swiveled his chair around so that his back was to the man when he collected the loose pages and left the room in defeat. Dan cracked his knuckles and stared out the window, setting his jaw against the brilliant sunshine coming in through the blinds. There was nothing wrong with their mediocre business just the way it was. It was safe. They earned a decent living. Why did his partner always want to change things?
What do you think about Dan’s reaction? Do you identify more with Dan or with his partner? Are you willing to take risks, or would you rather play it safe?
Now, consider this for a moment. How exactly does Dan know the task is impossible? Has he tried it before? That’s a curious question, isn’t it? You really don’t know what’s impossible until you try it and fail. Even then, it might be possible if you learn from your failure and alter your plan accordingly. We’ve already established that failure teaches success. So why not give the impossible a shot?
Maybe it’s time to attempt the impossible. At the very least, you are likely to get further than you’ve ever gone before. Write about your thoughts on merits or insanity of attempting the impossible.
DAY
109
“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”
— Pablo Picasso
You will be considering the impossible for the next few days. Don’t worry, you will not be attempting the impossible yet—just thinking about it. Yesterday, you had an opportunity to jot down your initial thoughts on the merits or the insanity of attempting the impossible. Today, you get to think about what you might get out of attempting that which you cannot do.
Picasso was quite a successful and prolific artist. According to this quote, he attempted impossible things all the time. Could that have been one of his tools for success? Why would he try to do things that he could not do? Did he enjoy defeat? He says he did them to learn.
It’s a bold move to launch into something you cannot do. There is no safety or familiarity in that task, no chance to prove your knowledge and skill. It takes guts to be willing to learn something without the guarantee of success.
That is precisely why some people do it. They want to expand their knowledge, and they are willing to drop their egos and learn a new skill. In a way, they are heroic. It is a wonderful idea when you think about it. You are always armed with the potential to change and grow and learn new things. You just have to build up the nerve to make an attempt.
Your assignment is to choose three things you cannot do at this moment but you would like to do someday. You don’t have to attempt the impossible; just write down your goals for future reference.
DAY
110
“When you have a great and difficult task, something perhaps almost impossible, if you only work a little at a time, every day a little, suddenly the work will finish itself.”