Do you remember when you were just a small child? Of course you do, we all do, but what do you remember the most? For many of us the most vivid memories we have are from the times that we did something that we were excited about, like our first trip to Disneyland, or even the first time our parents took us out to eat. There's a reason that these memories stand out in such a vibrant way, and that is because our memories are stronger when the emotion we attached to that memory is strong. (this is also the reason that negative memories are so vivid as well, but we can talk about that another time)
So what makes enthusiasm so powerful? Why does it stick with us when so few things do? Enthusiasm is one of the highest levels of euphoria that we know of, when we are enthused about something we are not merely excited, it's almost as though our whole body tingles with expectation. Tese are the times when you feel like you can't wait a minute more. And the best part is when we are enthused about something we are never let down, it may not be exactly what we thought it would be, but the electricity we feel about it carries us through to almost always having a positive result.
How can we use enthusiasm to get happy now? It's simple, we simply tap into our memories of enthusiasm and attach those same feelings to everyday situations, you may not feel as enthusiastic about doing a presentation for work, but maybe you can set up a reward for yourself when the presentation is complete, and get excited about the presentation because the reward awaits you at the end of the experience.
You could also simply just choose to be enthusiastic about life, and be grateful for every day you have, I heard a quote once from somebody that said "a good day is one where I am on 2 feet above the ground instead of lying beneath it." That too is something we can be excited about today is a day to live life.
Another simple way to use enthusiasm to better our lives is to share it, and the simplest way to share it is through a smile, next time you "accidentally" make eye contact with someone while driving, or walking down the street, or in the grocery store, instead of looking away with embarrassment, flash them a quick smile, it will help you get happy, and it will more than likely get you a smile which means you just helped someone else become happy as well.
Give it a shot you have nothing to lose, infuse your life with some enthusiasm and see what happens.
Keith Callister Self Improvement Coach
Visit my blog at
http://www.YouAreHappiness.com
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