Enthusiasm is a form of emotional stamina that can carry you through the inevitable muck of life.
You can carry enthusiasm into what you do by being willing to search for something worthwhile in any situation, especially when it’s not obvious. Search for something good in tedious, boring, annoying, and daunting tasks. A fleck of color in the grey. Even if you don’t find any, the search can improve your attitude toward the bulk of life, which is largely mundane stuff punctuated by moments of crisis and joy.
Enthusiasm doesn’t mean pretending things are great when they suck. The trick is finding that one small thing worth showing up for, even if it’s just the story you’ll tell later about how spectacularly ass it was.
By carrying enthusiasm into what you do, you can bring your best even (and especially) when you don’t feel like it.
“Pick an arbitrary, stupid goal. Become totally involved with it and pursue it with vigor. And what happens to you in that pursuit is your life. Understand it’s stupid, but it’s not stupid to pursue. It’s the way to inject meaning into your life. Otherwise you’re left with this, ‘why bother?'”
~Kenny Shopsin, I Like Killing Flies (Documentary)
