An enthusiastic heart finds opportunities everywhere*

What helps us to adjust? It´s enthusiasm

Yesterday, I suddenly had the idea, that this week´s article should be around enthusiasm. Often also called as passion, spirit or eagerness. It´s the force, which drives us to do something. It´s more a pulling into doing something, than forcing ourselves into it. This week, I was pulled into the rainbow. I was deeply motivated to set a sign for the school community, rather than writing an article.

Where does enthusiasm comes from?

The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek word “en-theos”, to be possessed by or filled with good. Socrates once said that the inspiration of a poet is one form of enthusiasm. It is nothing, which can be forced to come to us, it´s inherent. It comes from a part of us, which we can´t control.

Eckart Tolle, a modern spiritual teacher and, amongst other books, author of the book “A New Earth”, says, that it is the place, where the Ego dissolves. The Ego explained as the part of us, which always wants to control everything, especially the outcome. We are enthusiastic, when we do something, because we inherently want to do it. We are not writing the book to become a bestselling author. Instead we are writing it to tell the story. The story is in us and wants to be shown to the world. It´s when actors trespass limits, not to earn the next Oscar, but to have the audience truly understand the character they are playing.

How can we find enthusiasm? The trick is to surrender

It´s when we are doing something no matter what the outcome will be. When we follow our innate wish to bring a certain topic to the world. Let it be a painter, who has to paint, even though his account will tell him to better search a paid job. It´s the nurse, who goes to work every day, because helping people is in her veins. It is, whenever we do not think about the reaction, that enthusiasm has taken over our actions.

In “The Artists Way”, Julia Cameron compares it to a spiritual commitment, a loving surrender to our creative process. “En-theos”, “I carry God in me”. You don´t even need to believe in God. You just need to believe in a creative force, which will guide you into new grounds. The maxim is to surrender to the process and not visualizing the outcome.

Looking for opportunities

I started writing today, to see, which story wants to be told. Having just one word “enthusiasm”, I searched for quotes. The one from *Paulo Coelho stuck with me the most, so I took it as headline: ”An enthusiastic heart finds opportunities everywhere”.

There was the opportunity to write and suddenly the article unfolded. This week at school, there was the opportunity to help. In the end, all I did, was coordinating the students to social distance and put their hands in a plate with color.

Whatever you do, don´t think too much about the outcome. Let the energy flow and follow your intuition. It´s not up to you to ponder about results. It´s when you let go and surrender to the process, that your achievements will impact others and turn into positive outcomes.

You don´t need to wait until the muse is kissing you. Start today with one single thing, which makes you happy. Cook a nice meal, have a walk in the woods or play a card game with your kids. Enthusiasm will come while acting, not by waiting for a sign.

Enthusiasm let me help out in our school community. It´s just 1.000 single hand-prints put against a wall. But what you see is a giant rainbow tree shining brightly from afar.