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howrighttheywere.enthusiasticpeoplecanturnaboringdriveintoanadventure,extraworkintoopportunityandstrangersintofriends.
"nothinggreatwaseverachievedwithoutenthusiasm,"wroteralphwaldoemerson.itisthepastethathelpsyouhangintherewhenthegoinggetstough.itistheinnervoicethatwhispers,"icandoit!"whenothersshout,"no,youcan't."
ittookyearsandyearsfortheearlyworkofbarbaramcclintock,ageneticistwhowonthe1983nobelprizeinmedicine,tobegenerallyaccepted.yetshedidn'tletuponherexperiments.workwassuchadeeppleasureforherthatsheneverthoughtofstopping.
weareallbornwithwide-eyed,enthusiasticwonderasanyoneknowswhohaseverseenaninfant'sdelightatthejingleofkeysorthescurryingofabeetle.
itisthischildlikewonderthatgivesenthusiasticpeoplesuchayouthfulair,whatevertheirage.
at90,cellistpablocasalswouldstarthisdaybyplayingbach.asthemusicflowedthroughhisfingers,hisstoopedshoulderswouldstraightenandjoywouldreappearinhiseyes.music,forcasals,wasanelixirthatmadelifeaneverendingadventure.asauthorandpoetsamuelullmanoncewrote,"yearswrinkletheskin,buttogiveupenthusiasmwrinklesthesoul."
howdoyourediscovertheenthusiasmofyourchildhood?theanswer,ibelieve,liesintheworditself."enthusiasm"comesfromthegreekandmeans"godwithin."andwhatisgodwithinisbutanabidingsenseoflove--properloveofself(self-acceptance)and,fromthat,loveofothers.
enthusiasticpeoplealsolovewhattheydo,regardlessofmoneyortitleorpower.ifwecannotdowhatweloveasafull-timecareer,wecanasapart-timeavocation,liketheheadofstatewhopaints,thenunwhorunsmarathons,theexecutivewhohandcraftsfurniture.
elizabethlaytonofwellsville,kan,was68beforeshebegantodraw.thisactivityendedboutsofdepressionthathadplaguedherforatleast30years,andthequalityofherworkledonecritictosay,"iamtemptedtocalllaytonagenius."elizabethhasrediscoveredherenthusiasm.
wecan'taffordtowastetearson"might-have-beens."weneedtoturnthetearsintosweataswegoafter"what-can-be."
weneedtoliveeachmomentwholeheartedly,withalloursenses--findingpleasureinthefragranceofaback-yardgarden,thecrayonedpictureofasix-year-old,theenchantingbeautyofarainbow.itissuchenthusiasticloveoflifethatputsasparkleinoureyes,aliltinourstepsandsmoothsthewrinklesfromoursouls.