Being an enthusiastic person means you have a strong passion, energy, and excitement for the things you do and the experiences you have, whether it's in your personal or professional life. Enthusiasm is the essential ingredient that enables the enthusiastic person’s high levels of interest and willingness to engage more actively in various activities, learning new things, and tackling challenges with an energetic and optimistic attitude. In this post we look at what it means to be enthusiastic, how it helps people learn, the benefits of being enthusiastic at work, and how it improves relationships. We also provide five helpful tips on how to be more enthusiastic if you want to pick it up a notch.
What is the Meaning of Enthusiastic?
Merriam-Webster's ENTHUSIASTIC definition is (plus we spice it up a bit): filled with enthusiasm; showing enthusiasm; excitement; having or showing intense enjoyment, interest or approval.
True Mydentity prefers to add a little more flavor to that meaning of enthusiastic. Here are some valuable ways the enthusiastic person may use their power.
An enthusiastic person brings positivity, motivation, and energy to those around them. They are typically more committed and persistent, which helps them accomplish tasks and goals more efficiently. The energy and passion of an enthusiastic person can help create a positive and engaging learning environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and innovation. They can boost morale, enhance teamwork effectiveness, and promote a positive culture; all of which can improve productivity. And, the enthusiastic person’s positive attitude can motivate others to keep going when things get tough and help them overcome challenges.
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Benefits of Being Enthusiastic
Being an enthusiastic person can have many benefits, including improved mood, increased energy and motivation, greater creativity, enhanced communication skills, better relationships, higher productivity, and a greater sense of purpose. It is an important character trait for creating a more fulfilling and rewarding life. Here are some ways being enthusiastic can benefit one’s learning, how it can positively impact the work environment, and play a beneficial role in one’s personal and professional relationships.
Being Enthusiastic About Learning
Being enthusiastic about learning can help individuals approach the process with a positive and engaged mindset. The enthusiastic person is often equipped with curious questions, and motivated to explore new ideas and innovative concepts.
When someone is enthusiastic about what they are learning, they are more likely to pay attention and stay focused. This improves the enthusiastic person’s ability to absorb information, retain it, and apply it more effectively in the right situations.
Enthusiasm can increase motivation, confidence, and critical thinking skills; fostering a growth mindset, and promote social learning.
In educational or training environments, enthusiastic people can add value by inspiring and motivating students or trainees to learn and explore new ideas. Their energy and passion can help create a positive and engaging learning environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and innovation.
Being Enthusiastic at Work
In a professional working environment, being enthusiastic at work can contribute to the team's success by boosting morale, enhancing teamwork, and promoting a positive work culture. The energy and motivation of an enthusiastic employee can help increase productivity, promote new ideas and strategies, and inspire others to work harder and achieve better results.
Being enthusiastic at work often helps a person stand out in the workplace, and leaders eventually take notice. Their enthusiasm demonstrates a positive attitude that boosts morale and motivates others. They are more likely to take on new challenges and be persistent in the face of setbacks. They often foster a growth mindset and are fully committed to their work. These attributes can lead to more opportunities for career advancement and professional growth.
Showing Enthusiasm in Your Relationships
Enthusiastic people can bring a positive attitude that can help overcome challenges and create more meaningful connections. They can inspire and motivate their partners, family, and friends to pursue their goals and passions, leading to a more fulfilling and satisfying life. They are also more likely to be seen as approachable, friendly, and likable, which can help build stronger connections and trust.
An enthusiastic person can enhance emotional connections by improving the level of communication, and opening the door to positive emotional expression. Sharing enthusiasm in a relationship is important for building and maintaining fulfilling and healthy relationships.
5 Tips on How to be More Enthusiastic
Becoming more enthusiastic may or may not be challenging depending on various factors. How you approach things, your current mindset, and life circumstances will all play a role in whether you will behave more enthusiastically. If it is important for you to pursue it, then you must be patient with yourself and give yourself time to make changes. Showing enthusiasm is not simply a switch you can turn on and off. Be prepared to do some work on yourself, for yourself.
Here are five helpful tips on how to be more enthusiastic. If through the process of trying these things you feel you may need some help getting to the next level, please contact a mental health professional because there might be something getting in the way. Choose one you feel comfortable with who you believe can help guide you to the next level of being more enthusiastic.
Ask Yourself, Why are You Not Enthusiastic?
If you’re not as enthusiastic as you would like to be, ask yourself why. Write your thoughts down. Do this occasionally, not just once. A lack of enthusiasm often occurs due to something causing stress, or a previous experience that left you feeling disappointed or hurt. By asking yourself why you’re not feeling enthusiastic about something, you may uncover why your mind chooses not to become excited or thrilled and some of the past experiences triggering your responses.
Think Positive: What's the Upside?
Enthusiasm often originates from a positive mindset. Practice looking for the good in everyday situations. Try to find opportunities for a new perspective, personal growth and learning in every experience. For example, if a friend cancels plans, use the free time to do something you've been wanting to do or to catch up on self-care.
Visualize Acting Enthusiastically
Close your eyes and put yourself in a recent scenario where you did not act enthusiastically, but maybe you could have. Replay the scene in your mind, but imagine yourself acting and speaking more enthusiastically. You can do this anytime you’re alone, ideally in a quiet place. The more you practice this visualization exercise, the more your mind will recognize situations where being enthusiastic fits for you, and how to engage with others with enthusiasm when those moments arise.
Spend Time with Enthusiastic People
Surround yourself with enthusiastic people. Engage with enthusiastic people. Observe and learn from enthusiastic people. Those who are naturally gifted with enthusiastic power are a great place to learn from. Simply by being around an enthusiastic person, you will naturally pick up on their tendencies and learn to engage in a similar way, but with your own personal character’s style.
Put Yourself in a Position to Show Enthusiasm
You likely need to get more comfortable showing your enthusiasm. Enthusiasm does not need to be high-volume, in your face, jump through the roof kind of excitement. But it certainly should be joyful, happy, appreciative, grateful and exciting. Here are some simple ways to practice showing enthusiasm:
- Engage in Conversation - If a friend is telling a story, give them your full attention and take it all in, find something interesting in the story and ask a follow up question, or a few.
- Volunteer - If helping people makes you feel good, find a local volunteering opportunity you can get behind and sign up to volunteer. Show up with an open mind and take in the experience. Before you leave, openly share something positive that you enjoyed about your experience with someone, and how that experience made you feel.
- Take a Class - If you have always wanted to learn a new skill, sign up for a class and embrace the challenge. Be excited for the opportunity and the process. Just by signing up, realize you’ve done more for yourself to learn that new skill than you had previously. Be enthusiastic about embracing a new challenge and stepping up to participate and learn.
- Write a Thank You - If someone has done something kind for you, write them a thank you note and enthusiastically offer your gratitude. Mail it or drop it off. Email or text is alright, but the unexpected thank you note in the mail (a little personalized gift they get to open) is the most impactful. That said, something is better than nothing, so do what works best for you.
- Play a Game - Get the competitive juices flowing and play a game with other people. It can be a card game, board game, sports, or a completely made-up game. Any game will do. The point is to celebrate the little achievements, to offer encouragement and compliments, and to say “good game!” all in the name of showing enthusiasm for the game and good competition.
Enthusiastic - True Mydentity Style
True Mydentity offers designs on our clothes that highlight 58 positive character traits. The powerful enthusiastic trait is one of the 58 character traits featured. We believe if you know your dominant positive characteristics; focus on what you do to learn, work and build relationships using these dominant traits; you will feel more fulfilled and closer to your purpose. And as you improve upon leveraging these positive character traits in those three areas of your life; you move toward discovering your full potential.
If being enthusiastic is your thing, make True Mydentity’s Enthusiastic apparel part of your character’s power suit; and be the enthusiastic person you’re meant to be.
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