Ralph Waldo said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Enthusiasm for my own growth will be the fuel for my transformation. There is a saying I heard from Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend in their trainings on substance counseling that describes, "We change our behavior when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing." Sometimes people are driven to action from outside forces. Pain is not fun but it can get a stubborn heart to move.

BUT consider how much better it is when we are seeking whole heartedly the growth we know we need. Enthusiasm is defined as intense enjoyment, interest, or approval expressed by a person. Acting in our full will. This is a recipe for thriving to the development we seek. We most definitely will reach higher levels. Enthusiasm is a choice. We decide the effort and emotion we desire to bring to everything we do. It starts with how we show up in our lives.

One of my favorite soccer players is Ronaldinho. There are certain athletes who when I watch them I just can't help but get excited about the sport. They are always happy and enlivened as they play their the game. As I watch Ronaldinho, I can't help but notice his obvious skill. Dribbling, passing, rainbow kicks and goals. He dances the samba from time to time. This is enthusiasm! In order to accomplish all this skill, he had to practice with enthusiasm.

It's the same in life. We can believe the practice or testing we are experiencing is taking us somewhere exciting. We can envision reaching another level in our walk with God. Once we realize how exciting this is, we can experience joy in our process. We become better in the situations that once took great effort. Our skill increases to the point where we are masters in some areas that once took a whole lot of focus.

Practice showing up in your life today with great enthusiasm. Look for opportunities to get excited about the great things coming as a result from your effort today!