One of my favorite quotes is by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said, "Every great and commanding movement in the annals of the world is the triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great has ever been achieved without it." Now that is a thought to ponder! Even war can stem from an enthusiasm of national pride or the zeal and enthusiasm to protect one’s homeland. I am sure every great inventor since time began had a passion and enthusiasm for his or her work and pursued it for endless hours. When you are enthused, the hours do not matter!
In the modern world, it seems there is an abundance of non-enthusiastic people. I call them day-to-day livers. Their greatest goal is simply to finish the day. Finish work, finish the task at hand, just finish and go on to the next task. I believe that enthusiasm is a byproduct of dreams. If your dream is big enough, if it has the seeds of your talent, then enthusiasm will be the water that allows the dream to grow and blossom into full grown success and joy. Maybe genius is nothing more than the enthusiasm to pursue a course with unrelenting determination! I have seen so many ordinary people with an extraordinary level of enthusiasm that drove them beyond obstacles and failure and allowed them to climb upon the victory stand of life.
Your level of enthusiasm can certainly be affected by outside forces such as illness or tragedy. But can't you still take a tragedy and turn it into a triumph with the right enthusiasm and passion for a cause? Christopher James Greicius had a dream! The year was 1980 and at the age of seven, he dreamed of becoming a police officer one day. Sometimes our dreams are intercepted by fate. Christopher became ill with leukemia and was given little hope of survival. U.S. Customs Officer Tommy Austin had befriended Chris and his mother. Officer Austin promised Chris a ride in a police helicopter. When Chris' health worsened, Austin contacted Ron Cox, an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer, and the wheels were put in motion!
On April 29, 1980, Chris' day started with a tour of the city in a department helicopter! He was flown to DPS headquarters where three cruisers and a motorcycle were waiting to escort Chris to his meeting with the command staff. Chris was sworn in as the first honorary DPS patrolman in the history of the department! To make the experience complete, Ron Cox contacted John's Uniforms and the owner and two seamstresses worked overnight to make a custom DPS uniform for Chris. On May 1st, Chris was given a motorcycle proficiency test (on his battery powered toy motorcycle) and officially given his patrolman's wings and badge along with his customer uniform!
On May 2nd, Chris' health worsened and he was back in the hospital but asked that his uniform be displayed where he could see it at all times. Christopher James Greicius, the boy with enthusiasm, the boy with a dream passed away the next day. A boy, a dream, a dream fulfilled because of enthusiastic people. It did not stop with Chris! This one triumph of human love and kindness became the seeds of the "Make A Wish Foundation" that has helped thousands of kids realize their greatest dreams. In fact, a child's wish is granted every 41 minutes throughout the world. There was no lack of enthusiasm among the men and women who made this glorious event take place. If they had waited a few days, none of it would have mattered!
Is there anything you have been putting off? Is there any dream you have left unfulfilled? Start each day with enthusiasm and passion and you will be amazed at how the world smiles back at you and grants you unlimited joy and fulfillment. Seize the day and make it joyous!