ENTHUSIASM

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm!" Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love this quote, Like many of the things that Emerson said it really gets to the heart of the matter, really says something about the essential spirit within us.

I have another of his quotes on the homepage of my website:

"Change your thoughts and you change your world". Really powerful I think. So simple yet so true.

The word enthusiasm comes from the greek "en theos", meaning God within.
Now whether that to you means a religious God or some other being higher than ourselves doesn't really matter.
It's just an acknowledgement that when we are enthusiastic we are filled with something wonderful, something above and beyond what we normally are. This gives us power to act in all sorts of wonderful ways and to achieve far more than we think we can do.

What are you really enthusiastic about? When you think about that, how does it make you feel? Don't just read this, actually answer the questions for yourself. Now that you've got that feeling going on, think about something you want to do. Feel that great enthusiastic feeling as you think about the new task. Feeling up for it now? Then shut down your computer and get going!

GET ON YOUR DEATHBED

Not as morbid as it sounds...... although I have been to a funeral today, always a reminder of one's own mortality.
Must be an age thing but I seem to go to many more funerals than weddings these days. One summer I went to nine weddings. That seems like a very long time ago.

Whilst there I was reminded of this exercise. It is one of Steve Chandler's techniques, described in his wonderful book "100 Ways to Motivate Yourself". If you haven't read it I highly recommend it. This technique is in fact the very first one in the book.

Imagine yourself lying on your deathbed and imagine those people close to you visiting you to say goodbye. Really connect with the feelings associated with this. It sounds like a terrible thing to do and it is very emotional but it is a wonderful way to realise what is really important in your life and what you are not doing and not saying to those close to you. It makes you think hard about pushing your dreams off into the future and telling yourself you'll do it some day. As Steve says, "without being conscious of death you can't be fully aware of the gift of life".

GET CREATIVE!

If you read my last post you'll remember me raving about the amazing sky I saw from my consulting room window last week. Rather like that guy who liked the razor so much he bought the company, I liked it so much I painted it, in acrylics.

I haven't painted anything since I was at school, 30 odd years ago and I was never very good at it then. But today I came from a place of inspiration, a place of creativity and I'm really pleased with the result. Whilst painting it I was listening to Anthony Robbins and just sort of felt "in the flow."

Look around you, what's really inspiring you? How can you express this? It doesn't matter what you do or how you do it..... but do something. Do it for yourself. You'll be amazed what you can do when you just believe.

So get creative and enjoy it. Why not share what you come up with on the site?
Have fun.