Enthusiasm!

Let’s face it: it’s really nice to see enthusiastic people, to the point of being overwhelmed and inspired, urging us to do something beautiful too or at least to raise our mood.

Or sometimes to the point of making us burn with envy and want to turn it off.

In short, enthusiasm does not leave us indifferent.

But what exactly is enthusiasm?

In common usage, it is “intense feeling of joy, admiration, longing for something or someone, or total dedication to a cause, an ideal, etc.” (Treccani vocabulary)

The word enthusiasm originates from the Greek root thus, from which the Greek verb enthousiazein, with the meaning of “to be inspired, to be passionate, to have an inspiration towards something or towards someone”. The root thu- with an even more marked meaning, indicated a sort of fury, impetus, momentum, even sacred delirium (hence the Greek thuas = bacchante, which almost indicates being inebriated).

Another etymology of the word enthusiasm is attributed to the Greek enthus or en-theos, that is “having a God inside, being inspired, being in the breath of the God”. Indicates a particular condition for which it is the deity who speaks through the person.
In summary: en “inside”, thèos “god”. The god within.

This makes us understand why enthusiasm doesn’t leave us indifferent: it involves our depths and is partly a mystery, like love. It cannot be governed by reason.

We cannot on command become enthusiastic, we cannot on command extinguish our enthusiasm, and when we lose the ability to become enthusiastic it is a bad sign, as an aphorism by Samuel Ullman effectively expresses: “Losing enthusiasm causes wrinkles in the soul”.

Because enthusiasm has to do with the awakening of an extremely deep inner strength, capable of motivating us in a powerful way and activating the resources we didn’t even know we had.

It’s not always easily visible, but it’s no less influential. It certainly can’t be faked.

It is thanks to enthusiasm that we make dreams come true and overcome insurmountable obstacles.

How can we foster and cultivate this ability to be divinely inspired?

Here are five tips to stimulate the birth of authentic enthusiasm:

1. Cultivate positive thoughts

Our thoughts when they are positive drive away fear and bring love closer, fertile ground for enthusiasm to flourish;

2. Consider obstacles a spur, a challenge, instead of rail against them

They are in fact invitations to surpass ourselves;

3. Cultivate perseverance

We need to look at the tenacity with which children go towards what they want, despite adversity;

4. Stop judging

The most destructive effect of judging others is to become self-judging, with the effect of being increasingly blocked, under the dominion of fear and rationality… and enthusiasm is not the fruit of rationality;

5. Feeding our inner child

By allowing ourselves what gives us joy and pleasure, even if it has no use and is apparently a waste of time…we do that something where we lose track of time or it is a small thing that has no value in economic terms. Basically, let’s listen to each other. And let’s get to know each other.

And you, are you capable of getting excited? Share your secrets in the comments to keep the excitement going!