Enthusiasm
So many times we feel that we are forced to do the things that we do. We feel that we have to do them and we feel that if we had a choice we would not do them. The problem is that when we feel this way we resent the things that we have to do and we look for ways to avoid doing them. This is not the way to be great.
There are those who say "To be happy, do what you love to do." These people do not understand life. Whether we like it or not this is a material world and we are material beings and one of the necessities of life is that we have to eat, and to eat we must have money, and to get money we have to sell our time and our skills. So if you did what you loved but what you love to do doesn't pay thebills then I guess you are going to have a problem. So here is my philosophy "Do what you do as if you love it!" The magic of this philosophy is that when you do what you do as if you love it you will be doing what you love to do.
But how do "I do what I do as if I love it" if I don't love it? Simple. Change your mind. The only reason that you don't love what you do is that you have chosen not to love it. You have placed an emotional burden on the task and you are thinking more about what doing this is stopping you from doing than what doing this allows you to do.
Here's what you do to change your mind. Find the value in what you do. What is the benefit to you? Who else benefits from what you do? What would happen to you if you could not do it? This is called enlightenment - being aware of the value and purpose of your actions.
There is a ZEN saying about Enlightenment, "Before enlightenment chop wood and draw water. After enlightenment chop wood and draw water", which really shows that life goes on and you must do what needs to be done. I don't like that saying much and I prefer to see it this way "Before enlightenment chop wood and draw water. After enlightenment chop wood and draw water aware of the wonder ofbeing able to chop wood and draw water" You see to me enlightenment means that we have removed the blinkers that we have been wearing that were stopping us from seeing the wonder of our ability to do what we are doing.
There is line of thought that states that you must discover your "life's purpose", I think that those who believe this haven't given it much thought. It's like you'll be wandering aimlessly down life's path and suddenly in a "pif" moment you'll discover your purpose. No wonder so many people are living unfulfilled lives. They are looking for the "unfindable". I often ask people who are on this quest, what it is that they are looking for and none of them know. Well if you don't know what you are looking for, how will you know that you've found it. You won't. So here's how I suggest that you deal with this problem. Since you don't know what your purpose is, how do you know that this isn't it? What if this that you are doing is your purpose. How would you do it then? Would you be more enthusiastic about it? I am sure that you would. So. Do everything that you do as if you believed it was your purpose. Remember the way to be great is to do all things great not just some great things.
To develop enthusiasm realise the importance of your actions. Realise that everything that you do affects your life. Every action is both a building block of your past and a foundation stone of your future.
The magic of being enthusiastic is that it takes the work out of life and puts the fun back in.
Love yourself enough to be enthusiastic about your ability to do what you do.
With wishes
