7 Keys To Awaken Your Enthusiasm
You need to spark your enthusiasm. It is good to ignite that energetic and positive vitality with which to face difficulties with greater impetus and confidence. This emotion is the engine that drives us to achieve our goals.
Although, as we well know, sometimes it costs. It is difficult to put an illusion to our reality when routine weighs and we look to the future with the prick of uncertainty. However, if being enthusiastic is one of the most beautiful virtues of the human being, it is worth remembering how these psychological mechanisms are activated.
The famous doctor Gregorio Marañón used to say that enthusiasm is a sign of emotional health. It is committing ourselves to life and giving it momentum. It is also, as the psychologist Martin Seligman points out, a trait that allows us to face things from the heart, in a lively and energetic way.
Why not give it a try? Why not find out how to further develop this valuable mental focus?
How can you spark your enthusiasm?
Arousing your enthusiasm will not only revert to your well-being. If there is something magical about this emotion, it is that it is contagious, it is like a spark in the dark that guides and inspires. So much so that according to this study, the character strengths that most correlate with happiness are enthusiasm, curiosity and hope.
For their part, Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman, in their book Character Strengths and Virtues, described enthusiastic people as energetic people with bright eyes because of the passion and motivation they experienced within. Now, there is a detail. Some have this most enthusiastic personality trait from birth.
To put it another way, there are those who have a certain predisposition, and also those who, due to their character, start out at a disadvantage. Because it is not easy to always be 100% in energy and positivity levels. Therefore, we can conceive this dimension as a mental state to develop, awaken and ignite whenever possible.
Although discouragement can be a great one-time companion, it is a horrible permanent companion. Therefore, below we explain how to awaken your enthusiasm.
1. Get out of yourself, it’s time to explore other territories
We live in the age where self-help books are still the most in demand. The cult of the self, the need to understand ourselves, care for ourselves, develop and heal ourselves forces us to always be focused on ourselves. However, it is good that, from time to time, you leave the border of the self to discover other worlds.
As you do so, you will become aware that there are other minds to learn from. Fostering new friendships, discovering new settings, places or practices and expanding experiences awakens the passion for living. That is the spark of enthusiasm.
2. Relax, stop living in survival mode
To awaken enthusiasm you have to stop living in survival mode. What does this mean? The states of stress and anxiety are what make you think in a self-preservation mode : fight or escape threats. The mind only focuses on worries, on what has happened or what may happen, on what you should do …
Enthusiasm doesn’t turn on when you’re caught up in constant rumination and fidgeting. So do it, relax, slow down and give yourself moments of calm.
3. And what are you passionate about?
It seems like an obvious question, but not everyone really knows how to answer it. What are you passionate about, what ignites your inspiration, your enthusiasm and your motivation? Clarifying what your tastes are, your personal concerns and working on them allows you to awaken your enthusiasm.
Remember that when this dimension arises in your mind, thoughts like the following will appear: “I know I can do this; I love spending time doing the other thing; I feel good about myself; time is flying by… ”.
4. Align your values with your belief systems and behaviors
If you do something, let it be in tune with your values and beliefs. Always adjust to what your intuition and that inner voice tells you that knows you so well.
Only when you pour your heart and soul into that which is in harmony with your true essences and personality, do you enjoy it, allow yourself to flow and your enthusiasm is awakened.
5. Stay away from those who turn off your illusions
It is the law of life. Around you there will always be one or two presences that will underestimate your passions, your tastes or your concerns. They are experts in plucking the wings of those who dream, in discouraging those who find their way. If there is someone who is undermining your plans and hopes right now, it is time to put some distance.
6. Practice transcendence to spark your enthusiasm
To transcend is to go beyond the apparent and ordinary to develop broader visions, deeper insights. This psychological strength was defined by William James first and Abraham Maslow later. It is also related to self-realization, with the clear purpose of continuing to learn to develop ourselves as fully people.
Research works such as those carried out in collaboration with the Simón Bolívar University and the Autonomous University of Madrid indicate that something as simple as walking through nature evokes in us that sense of wonder and enriching transcendence.
7. Enthusiasm is an attitude, choose it every day
As the saying goes, what is life without enthusiasm? Without it, we lack shine, charisma, desire, courage to work on what we want. Without this emotion, we vegetate, we just exist in autopilot mode. Therefore, clarify a goal that you are excited about and work on it.
