***Contagious Enthusiasm

“Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait: The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas. : Henry Ford. Last week, I visited my mom in a rehab nursing facility. She’s recovering there from a hip replacement surgery. There was a man playing piano in the activities room and he was fantastic. But, there was someone there that made me smile even more than the piano man. She was dancing with the biggest beam on her face, remembering. She was also in a wheelchair. She was moving her feet and gliding that wheelchair dancing circles around all of the other spectators in that room. You could tell that she was in a magnificent place and time in her mind. The whole room was uplifted by her. Her happiness was contagious.

That beautiful lady made me think about how we should be about our dreams. Are you contagiously excited, hopeful, happy, determined and noticeable about your dream? Maia Beatty calls that kind of enthusiasm ‘powerful presence’. It’s when a person’s presence grabs your attention in a powerful and positive way.
Having contagious enthusiasm not only blesses the people around you, but it blesses you. Norman Vincent Peale says of enthusiasm; “Life's blows cannot break a person whose spirit is warmed at the fire of enthusiasm. If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.”
People with contagious enthusiasm filter life through the ‘can do’ lens, not the ‘can’t do’ lens. They don’t define themselves by their limitations, but instead stretch themselves to reach their wildest dreams. Perhaps one of the very best examples of this is the example of Nick Vujicic. He has no arms or legs and it hasn’t stopped him in the least. Check out his inspirational story http://bit.ly/aGJesF.

Do you inspire people with your enthusiastic can do attitude? Do you make people want more of what you have because you are so positive and optimistic? Be absolutely contagiously enthusiastic and watch what happens around you!