It may be a trite truism, but without genuine enthusiasm, nothing really worthwhile has ever been achieved. Would the aviation industry soar as it does today but for the passion and perseverance of those early indomitable pioneers, siblings Orville and Wilbur Wright? And nearer home, would India have won Independence from the British if it wasn’t for the unflagging passion of our freedom fighters?
What is this phenomenon called enthusiasm that sometimes sweeps us off our feet, often becoming an obsession? It goes by many names — passion, zeal, fervour, ardour, mania, et al. It manifests itself in many avatars, but, basically, it’s a craze that grips us, individually and collectively, focusing our attention and energies on the pursuit of an objective to its logical and successful conclusion. It’s a burning, sometimes unquenchable, desire to do or achieve something significant somehow.
It’s enthusiasm, pure and simple, that’s behind all the successes we see around us. It ignites a spark in our lives and keeps it glowing and incandescent — a love of science or the arts, an interest in politics or social work, a passion for cricket or golf. Everyone has enthusiasm for something — it could be a vocation or avocation, a hobby or pastime around which our professional lives or leisure hours revolve. It’s enthusiasm that makes the world go round, injecting gusto into whatever we do.
Put plainly, enthusiasm usually stems from an abiding interest in (or passion for) something that one likes to do or pursue. Properly channelled, enthusiasm can help launch our cherished dreams and aspirations, bringing them to eventual fruition. Indeed, enthusiasm is a perennial fountain that waters our hopes and often shapes our lives, giving it meaning, purpose and direction.
Of course, being enthusiastic (or passionate) about something presupposes a willingness to persevere with the object of one’s interest, regardless of the impediments one faces. To enable one to succeed, one’s enthusiasm needs to be meticulously nurtured and sustained, as motivational speakers stress so often.
A mere show of enthusiasm will not help if it’s not bolstered by steadfast perseverance – as many of us learn the hard way. Here I recall the sagacious advice of one of my high school teachers: “If you’re genuinely enthusiastic about something, you’ll somehow make a success of it, no matter what obstacles confront you.”
All in all, the wholehearted pursuit of one’s enthusiasm or passion can be profoundly satisfying in many ways – and even financially rewarding – if one perseveres with it long enough and hard enough. Sticking with it is the key to success. Come to think of it, wouldn’t life be intolerably dull and insipid if one weren’t enthusiastic about something?
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