Enthusiasm - the Critical Mindset

Enthusiasm – the key to enduring success

Tim Connor

We’ve all heard it, this phrase has been spouted for decades, “If you want to become enthusiastic – act enthusiastic”.  Well – yes and no!

Let me explain.

Enthusiasm is not an act but a belief, a mindset and a life outlook.  Many people would have you believe that if you just go through life saying to yourself and others “I am enthusiastic” that this attitude will become a reality.  There is ample evidence that words repeated to yourself will not change behavior.  In order to change anything in your life it has to be grounded in belief and beliefs are developed over time through the internalization of feelings, experience and how you respond to those experiences.

Positive affirmations are a wonderful self-help tool to change your life for the better just as much as negative affirmations over time will keep you stuck where you don’t want to be.

Keep repeating to yourself you are; stupid, shy, not friendly and these words will not keep you in these types of behavior.  But, if you believe you are stupid etc. and keep repeating these, yes, you will continue with these types of actions or behaviors.

The opposite is true.  If you believe that you are happy, regardless of outer appearances, and you keep telling yourself this you will become happy over time.  The change in behavior or attitudes is not due to the words themselves but the combination of the words, beliefs and acting as if these things are yours now regardless of what is actually going on now in your life.

The unconscious mind controls all of your actions, decisions, attitudes etc.  The unconscious mind does not judge, accept or refuse any belief.  It is a neutral system that will over time change what messages it sends to your conscious mind where actions are taken and decisions are made.  These directions from your unconscious are nothing more than stored information that you have over time believed, felt or experienced and it has come to accept this as truth for you. 

The mind is a powerful tool that when used properly can guide you to achieve all of your dreams and desires.  If you behave in an enthusiastic way no matter what is going on in your life your unconscious will come to believe and accept that you are enthusiastic and will reinforce these attitudes with consistent messages to your conscious mind.

I can’t tell you how many books I have read and seminars I have attended where the author or speaker told me simply that all I had to do was repeat to myself numerous times a day “I am enthusiastic”.  Trust me this is very misleading and if this is all you do you will be extremely disappointed with the outcome.

In order to own a behavior or an attitude you must act as if you are or have it no matter what is evident in reality.  In other words you have act it as well as believe that it's true even though it isn’t.

Here’s a quick example.  One of my affirmations is “I refuse to accept sickness in my life.” When I get a cold every now and then someone will say, “Got a cold?”  My response is “I’m not sick.”  Their response is almost always “Well, you sure sound sick.”  My answer is always, “I may sound sick but I’m not sick.”

Now I know you might think this conversation is a bit stupid but this has been my mindset for years.  I refuse to accept sickness or illness in my life. Period.  No matter what is going on I have convinced my unconscious that I don’t get sick. 

Here’s the key.  When your unconscious believes something is true it will act accordingly and send various messages to your cells or organs reinforcing what it believes.  So when your mind really believes you are enthusiastic guess what?  No matter what is going on will not change your demonstration of enthusiasm.

You could be going broke, sick, out of work, riddled with adversity but no matter – you never lose your enthusiasm regardless of what is going on in your life.  Sound crazy?  Well to non-believers it is but to people who understand the power of the mind to determine their destiny they get it and they consistently use this tool to its full advantage.

Want to change any area of your life – relationships, financial status, happiness or success? Then believe that you have it now even though circumstances are inconsistent with your inner beliefs.

Remember, words are not enough.  You must develop the feelings that reinforce these words and continue to believe them no matter what is going on in reality.  Once you can accomplish this – you can do anything. We’re talking here about harnessing the tremendous power of your imagination, mind and its thoughts.