“Give me a man who sings at his work” (Thomas Carlyle).
IT’S SIMPLY A FACT THAT THOSE WHO ARE ENTHUSIASTIC DO BETTER WORK THAN THOSE WHO ARE NOT. A mediocre attitude produces mediocre workmanship. If we’re not feeling well and we make an effort to go ahead and do what needs to be done, that’s honorable. Necessary work done unenthusiastically is preferable to defaulting on our duties. But often, the problem is not that we don’t feel well or that we’re having a bad day; it’s that our attitude has gotten out of line. In that situation, we can make the choice to ratchet our enthusiasm up a notch or two. We can recall the real reasons why we do our work and put more of our heart into our undertakings.
As everybody knows, enthusiasm is contagious. Those who live with enthusiasm have an energizing effect on the people who come in contact with them. What we may not recognize, however, is that the opposite is also true. When we slog through our days as if we couldn’t care less what happens, that also has an effect on others — and it’s not one we’re going to feel good about as we look back on our lives.
It’s time we took personal responsibility for the degree of enthusiasm we’ve been living with. If we’ve been less than grateful for life and that’s been showing up in a less-than-enthusiastic manner of living, it doesn’t do much good to blame it on our external circumstances. Circumstances certainly do have an impact on our enthusiasm, but the more important question is what we do with our circumstances. We can choose to respond with more eagerness and interest, rather than less. Our choice can make a significant difference.
Our family, friends, and coworkers deserve the best we can give them. Indeed, life itself deserves our best. Nothing less than an enthusiastic approach will produce the quality of life that a human being is capable of. There comes a time when we simply have to step up to the issue and decide what kind of people we’re going to be. We have the freedom of our will, and we’ve been blessed with an abundance of raw materials to work with. It comes down to the question of whether we’re going to go “all out” to achieve excellent results or be content with the meager products of lazy, lackluster living.
“Do it big or stay in bed” (Larry Kelly).
Gary Henry — WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
