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2023 is destined to be known as ‘The Year of Enthusiasm.’ There is a certain excitement in the air. A feeling of positive energy. And, yes, truly a sense of enthusiasm. We enter each new year with the belief that we can start the world anew. And this year – after the various challenges of the past few years – just take a look at the people around you. You’ll see an eagerness, a positivity, and a sense of hopeful anticipation as we approach this fresh new year!
There is an old saying, one that’s been adapted or modified quite a bit over time, but which I believe very much encapsulates the year ahead: nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm. The last three years have been confusing, uncertain, and sometimes downright frustrating as we’ve dealt with the unpredictability of the pandemic. When we came into the new year and new decade in 2020, few of us could have imagined how drastically the world was about to change. Yet as we enter this new year of 2023, we do so having braved and persevered through the challenges of these past few years, and because of that we can look ahead to this next year with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm that perhaps the worst is behind us, enthusiasm for new opportunities, enthusiasm for things we may have even left behind and for growth. Whatever it may be, approaching each day with enthusiasm can be your greatest asset.
Generally, when we find ourselves in environments where excitement, good energy, and enthusiasm regularly exist, it multiplies exponentially and helps lead to a desired result. Or, when we choose to approach a task, an opportunity, or even a challenge with enthusiasm rather than say negativity, the outcome tends to be to our benefit. As the author Napoleon Hill once wrote, “Combine enthusiasm with faith and initiative, and you can move mountains and achieve results unheard of.”
Truthfully though, sometimes finding enthusiasm isn’t all that easy. Life tends to throw challenges our way that at times can lead us to feel anything but enthusiasm for where we are in the present moment. Ultimately, the choice is ours. Whether you’re unhappy with your job, or unsure of where a new project is going, whatever the case may be, by choosing to approach the moment with enthusiasm and putting our best foot forward, we can finish the day knowing we did our best. The more we choose to face the day with an enthusiastic ‘no one is going to get me down’ attitude, the more we realize that our happiness is ours to determine, no one else's. This creates not only less stress, which itself has enormous benefits to our health and likely our day to day, but also more opportunity for us to grow, both personally and professionally.
Back in the early 1900’s, a minor league baseball player named Frank Bettger had been cut from his team because his manager felt he lacked enthusiasm for the game. Frustrated at first, Frank decided to really take his manager's decision and the reasons for it to heart. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Frank focused not necessarily on his game, but the reasons why he loved baseball to begin with. He was determined to face each pitch, each inning, each game with the same enthusiasm he had when he began playing in the Little Leagues. Sure enough, his game improved and he made it back into the minors, eventually landing a big contract and making his Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals. And while his career would be cut short due to an arm injury, Frank would go on to be a best-selling author, offering up some straightforward advice. “Act enthusiastic, and you’ll become enthusiastic about everything you do.”
As we transition into 2023, we’ve been given an opportunity to start anew once again. After the turmoil of the last few years, it does feel like a year where we can truly look ahead and say, ‘nothing can stop me now.’ When we choose to face each day with this kind of enthusiasm, I can assure you by year's end, you’ll be happy with the result. Perhaps even ecstatic!
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