Quotations for Motivation #46 --- Enthusiasm

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm."

And frequent repetition has not blemished the truth that "nothing is so catching as enthusiasm."

Enthusiasm is the "radio wave" by which you transmit your personality to other persons. It is more powerful than logic, reason or rhetoric in getting your ideas across and in winning others to your viewpoint. ...

Nothing is quite so phony as false enthusiasm–the exclusively energetic, overwhelming display that bears its own stamp of falsity. ...

No one is "born enthusiastic." It is a trait that is acquired. You can acquire it, too.

Remember that in almost every contact with others you are trying, in a sense, to sell them something. That's true in all except the most trivial of relationships. First convince yourself of the value of your idea, your product, your services–of yourself.

Examine it--or yourself–critically. Learn the flaws in whatever you are trying to sell--and eliminate or correct them. Be thoroughly convinced of the "rightness" of your product or idea.

Armed with this conviction, cultivate the habit of thinking positively, forcefully, energetically, and you will find enthusiasm developing of itself–with the authoritative ring of true sincerity to help you project it to others.

—Napoleon Hill, Houston Post, Houston, Texas, June 20, 1956.

Enthusiasm is an important trait of character which can give to us many of the other traits and virtues that we need. The power of enthusiasm is a great power and it indicates a strong wholesome personality. It is contagious and inspires the same spirit in others. A person filled with enthusiasm is always a good self-starter. It gives him power within, to overcome all the little distractions and annoyances that get in the way. Enthusiasm is the fountainhead of ambition and gives to a person the ability to follow up and follow through. The enthusiastic person can quite easily acquire and develop other fine traits within the personality and one who has this great power will just naturally desire to increase in developing other major qualities such as loyalty, reliability and dependability, which are essentially the same.

—Glen L. Rudd, Harvester, Winter Park, Fla., January 1967.

In your daily work enthusiasm will surcharge you with dynamic, creative energy if you will but give it opportunity. Look at your work in the largest way possible. Try to see it as a contribution to the welfare of society as well as something of benefit to yourself. View it and welcome it as giving you a special chance to render useful service to your fellowmen. Don't measure it solely by its return to you in dollars and cents. Visualize it as an element that you may employ in helping to promote the common good.

—H. Addington Bruce, The Chicago Daily News, Chicago, Ill., May 23, 1919.

Enthusiasm is dynamic. It is a driving force. Likewise, it is of real upbuilding power.

It acts like a tonic on both mind and body. Under its influence the blood flows quicker, the lungs act freer, every vital part is healthfully stimulated. ...

Enthusiasm doubles the power to think and to do. It helps its possessor to dominate any situation.

The man or woman of enthusiastic trend always exercises a magnetic influence over those whom he or she comes into contact. They are drawn toward the enthusiastic.

And they, too, share in some degree the sentiments and desires of the enthusiast. It is not possible for them to do otherwise. For enthusiasm, like doubt, is most contagious.

The difference is that the contagion of doubt is blighting, depressing, paralyzing. Whereas the contagion of enthusiasm is enlarging and enheartening. Doubt weakens, enthusiasm strengthens. ...

Enthusiasm means a surmounting of obstacles that otherwise might be too much for you. ...

Cultivate this divine enthusiasm yourself. Don't be content with a day to day existence. Don't drift.

But throw yourself heart and soul into whatever you undertake. Let a passionate interest and faith in your work swallow up all sense of drudgery.

—H. Addington Bruce, Houston Daily Post, Houston, Texas, March 24, 1916.

There is nothing that will so readily give you uniform enthusiasm and engrossing pleasure in your daily work as a sincere desire to achieve some useful purpose.

—Glenville Kleiser, Specialty Salesman Magazine, Atlanta, Ga., January 1939.

Enthusiasm multiplies a man's power, raises whatever ability he has to its highest. One talent with enthusiasm back of it has accomplished more than ten talents without it. Enthusiasm is the powder that drives the bullet home to its mark.

—Orison Swett Marden, The Chicago Daily News, Chicago, Ill., Feb. 20, 1918.

More than any other characteristic or trait of human personality, enthusiasm has been the companion of success in every achievement, every upward step in the progress of mankind. Enthusiasm is the extra spark that makes you great. Enthusiasm is the producer of confidence.

—Joseph E. Massey, Pathfinder, Bellevue, Wash., April 1969.

Successes use their failures or dry spells to get new ideas and new stimulations. Some failures give up or become discouraged when difficulties arise. The power of retaining your enthusiasm when success is on the decline is one of the greatest measures of one's success. Strong personalities look at defeats as stepping stones to progress. People always reflect their moods. You cannot give people what you do not have. You must force yourself to sustain continued enthusiasm when things seem to be going backwards.

—Casper W. Merrill, West Central States Mission Bulletin, Billings, Mont., June 1959.

Enthusiasm is the greatest thing in the world--it beats money, power and influence singlehanded. And after all, it's nothing more or less than faith in action, faith in initiative rightly combined, and will remove mountainous barriers and achieve the unheard of and the miraculous.

—R.B. Moore, San Antonio Register, San Antonio, Texas, June 24, 1932.

Enthusiasm is the greatest spur to hard work–man should be enthusiastic about his work. Enthusiasm and energy will lead to success. Success, as I understand it, means the ability to carry on our work so that we will contribute our best efforts toward the common good of our fellowmen. In seeking success, if we would also be truly happy, we should not be sordid. The rewards of success are sweet, but we should regard real success as our contribution toward the betterment of conditions in this world, and not solely in the accumulation of wealth. No man is truly successful in this world whose sole and only aim is the accumulation of wealth. There are far nobler aims than the accumulation of wealth.

—Thornwell Fay, Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas, June 20, 1910.

Enthusiasm without knowledge is a mob without a guide.

—B.C. Forbes, Forbes Magazine, New York, N.Y., June 24, 1922.

We need enthusiasm to spur us on, genuine and persistent enthusiasm. Periodic, artificial stimulation will not drive us far. ... Enthusiasm, whether worthy or not, is to be judged by the situation that arouses it and the purpose that it tries to fulfill.

—Gustaf Freden, Louisiana Schools, Baton Rouge, La., November 1940.

Enthusiasm is a conqueror. It is irresistible.

Enthusiasm is being alive, awake to opportunity. It is the tingling of every fiber in your soul to do the work that you desire. We know that enthusiasm inspires confidence. When we meet a person who enthusiastically believes in himself and in what he says and does, we naturally give him our confidence and have faith in his abilities. ...

More enthusiasm about your work will convince your employer that you are interested in your job. He will not be slow to promote you. More enthusiasm about your business will make you work harder, arouse your originality, and you will find that more business will come to you. More enthusiasm in your social contacts will make people feel that you are really interested in them. Your friends will increase and your popularity grow by leaps and bounds.

—Ruth Fowler Brown, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Ga., May 29, 1934.

I don't believe in having enthusiasm at the beginning of a new year; the enthusiasm should be for the old year. The new year is a new race, a race of 365 days; the old year is the outcome, and we should finish the old year brilliantly, carrying the banner of dependability into the new year.

—George H. Brimhall, The White and Blue, Provo, Utah, Jan. 21, 1913.

It is a good thing to be enthusiastic, but real enthusiasm is measured by effort, not exuberance.

—Duncan Clark, Louisville Herald, Louisville, Ky., Aug. 5, 1907.

Enthusiasm is important because it helps a person to get a start. It is a quality not easy to cultivate, but it can be cultivated. Get out of your mind the critical, complaining, dissatisfied feeling. That's like pulling weeds out of the garden. If you can get out of your mind foolish feelings of complaint, of mortified vanity, the garden will be cultivated so enthusiasm will grow.

—Carlysle H. Holcomb, Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas, Nov. 8, 1952.

Enthusiasm takes the drudgery out of work. It takes the brakes off progress, and it shoots the project into orbit to function so long as enthusiasm lasts.

—John J. Hurt, Baptist Standard, Dallas, Texas, May 8, 1968.

What a wonderful world it would be if it were as easy to arouse enthusiasm as it is suspicion.

—Wesley S. Izzard, Amarillo Daily News, Amarillo, Texas, Feb. 19, 1953.

Enthusiasm is partly interest, partly energy, and wholly successful.

—W.D. Noland, Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville, Tenn., Jan. 3, 1930.

Do you know what the key to enthusiasm is? There are two keys, really: One comes from learning, the other from accomplishment. Learning new things tends to keep our enthusiasm high. The second key usually ties in with the first. It is pretty hard to accomplish something without first learning something new.

—Avanelle R. Osborn, The Reaper, Tallahassee, Fla., Aug. 20, 1972.

Honest enthusiasm is a powerful force. ... It demonstrates sincerity; it creates favorable impressions; it is positive in nature; it carries the element of persuasion. Contagious, it is easily transmitted to others. It is the mirror of one’s true convictions. [Those] who possess this stimulating power are more vigorous in the performance of duty. They go about their work with tenacity of purpose, overcoming obstacles, avoiding discouragement, and achieving success.

—Lee A. Palmer, Improvement Era, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 1953.

If John were forced to expend as much energy in two hours cleaning up the back yard as he gladly does during the same length of time on a football field, it would temporarily put him out of commission.

On the field, his enthusiasm for the game, his interest in the outcome, and his joy in being a part of it, enable him to perform almost superhuman tasks, and they uphold him, supplying the qualities of endurance until the end.

We have learned from experience that our brain and body will not generate power in large quantities for meeting obligations for which we do not care.

Large corporations have learned that their employees do not tire so quickly when assigned work that is in keeping with each man's interests, abilities and talents.

They have, however, on the other hand, learned to their sorrow and expense, that the best of them become unduly fatigued when forced to do the work for which they have no enthusiasm, and no heart.

Therefore, for some years, they have been paying more and more attention in placing each employee in the department that will call for the best within the man, and assigning to him the work that will not too often call into play traits in which he is less gifted.

Here is a lesson that you may need to take to heart. Keep in mind the fact that energy flows more abundantly when doing the thing that gives joy and that really enables you to find expression for your leading talents.

This does not mean, however, that if you are now doing the work that you do not like, you should lose the little interest that you may have and, therefore, find an excuse for sitting down on the job. It does mean that your imagination can also play a big part in this whole affair.

If circumstances have temporarily thrown you into the work for which you naturally have no interest, you can, nevertheless, generate more energy, and become less subject to fatigue, by putting your imagination to work, and by pretending that you do like it and, furthermore, that you are getting a kick out of doing it.

—Julian Pennington, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Ga., April 21, 1935.

Enthusiasm is more than evanescent emotion; it is exuberant life. There are three tests of genuine enthusiasm; it increases under opposition, purifies its possessor, and communicates itself to others. Without real enthusiasm there can be no great achievement.

—Henry Hugh Proctor, New York Times, New York, N.Y., Jan. 18, 1926.

Enthusiasm is confidence in action; it is the spark plug of any enterprise.

—The Commercial Dispatch, Columbus, Miss., Feb. 25, 1931.

An ounce of directed enthusiasm is worth a ton of constrained effort.

—St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 8, 1910.

NOTE: For more quotations on Enthusiasm, see the following Hub: Quotations for Motivation #7