In addition to being young, teens are gifted with creativity and the willingness to be open to new ideas and new adventures. Yet without genuine enthusiasm, your inherent gifts have little chance to materialize into much.
Enthusiasm is that spark of energy and sense of interest and inspiration that ignites effort, good ideas, intention, creativity, and hard work. Enthusiastic people are imaginative, inspirational, and just plain fun to be around. I’ve found that while it’s almost impossible to succeed without enthusiasm (regardless of how smart or gifted you might be), it’s also quite difficult, with enough enthusiasm, to fail. It’s that important.
Enthusiasm can get you through many difficult circumstances in your life and can help you in all you do. In high school and later in college, my enthusiasm made up for the lack of ease I had in my subjects. For the most part, my instructors sensed my enthusiasm and did everything they could to help me—my enthusiasm was contagious, so they wanted me to succeed. In my career, the connection between enthusiasm and success has been even more obvious. It has helped me to make my dream of spreading positive, life-enhancing messages to others come true. Virtually everyone I’ve come into contact with—my publisher, producers at talk shows, groups I speak to, the general public—has told me that one of the things they admire most about me is my enthusiasm. Almost never is it my intellect, work ethic, business savvy, or something else. It’s not that these things aren’t important, it’s just that those aren’t the things that people feel from you. What people feel is your sincerity and your enthusiasm.
Think of all the successful people you admire. Whether it’s a sports star, a teen idol or other entertainer, a teacher, parent, businessperson, author, or Internet wizard—the top people, those who shine, have one thing in common: enthusiasm for what they are doing.
I’ve hired a number of people to work for me and know many others who have done the same. From my perspective, enthusiasm weighs more heavily than almost any other factor in my decision to hire or not hire someone for a job. In other words, while grades, intellect, and other factors might be important, no one (certainly not I) really wants to work with someone who is a “downer” to be around, someone who sulks, frowns, lacks positive energy, or appears to be indifferent. Very simply, others don’t want to have much to do with people who are apathetic or lack enthusiasm.
Even if you’re in the habit of being a little negative, pessimistic, or indifferent—and even if your friends are that way too—I encourage you to dare to be enthusiastic! Smile at adults. Express genuine interest and enthusiasm in all you do, and be inquisitive about what others are doing. This slight attitude adjustment, as long as it’s sincere, may be just what you need to jump-start the life of your dreams.