April 2011 – Enthusiasm

The real secret of success is enthusiasm. – Walter Chrysler

Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do. –Norman Vincent Peale

You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. With it, there is accomplishment. Without it there are only alibis. – Henry Ford

Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch. – Ivern Ball

Ways for Parents to Encourage Passion and Enthusiasm

Passionate children are happy children because there is something in their lives that they absolutely love to do.  Their zeal for life keeps them buoyed up in the sea of events; they can sail through the rough seas that come along because generally they are enthusiastic and positive.  They have a natural inbuilt resistance.

The way to ignite our own passion is the think of something we love to do, and do more of it.  Make conscious choices to do more each day that leads you closer to them.  Then you start to get more excited.  You’re not going to be passionate about something that doesn’t interest you.  The same goes for our children.

When we have something we love to do, we jump out of bed with anticipation.  You know the feeling; you can’t wait to get the chores done so that you can get on with what you really want to do.  That’s passion, that’s enthusiasm, that’s puts the spark in life.

Every child has something he or she is interested in.  As a parent you can fan the flame, and add lots of fun for them.  I’ll bet you can remember way back, a few times with your parent that you spent together doing something – just the two of you.  Doesn’t matter what it was, just having their attention on you is what you still remember.  Your child is the same.  When you both do something that they LOVE.  Just imagine how that feels for them.

Make a poster of goals and wishes on it, hang it up in your child’s room.  Each night before bed look at the poster together and talk about the ‘big day’, and what you both expect to happen.  “What will it be like?”  “What are you looking forward to the most?”  “What is the most exciting thing about it?” = I can’t wait = I am expecting it to be terrific = I am really enthusiastic. 

Ask questions about your child’s topic in the areas that he/she is learning more, and some that he/she could learn more about, to encourage further interest = Mom/Dad wants to know more about this = I want to know more about this too = I am really enthusiastic to know more and share with Mom/Dad.

At the event you could take photos, save your tickets, collect brochures etc, and later make a book about it all together = Being interested is great fun = I want to find out more about things I am interested in.

The big part of this is that YOU are interested enough in your child in the first place – to take an interest in their hobby.  Children who have an interest that comes from inside them are not bored; they have an enthusiasm that adds vitality to their lives.

When your child is absorbed in doing the thing he/she loves most, they are happy.  Your child is even happier when you take a great interest in her interest as well.  Seeing our children happy and excited about life is a wonderful feeling!

Books to Share with Children

These are books that illustrate and encourage Enthusiasm and Optimism. Check your library for some of those listed here. Each one provides opportunities to discuss the results of having Enthusiasm.

• Fortunately  Remy Charlip
• The Carrot Seed  R. Krauss
• Is a Worry Worrying You?  Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz
• I Don’t Want To Go Addie Meyer Sanders
• Sink or Swim Valerie Coulman
• All for the Best: The Secret to Happiness Hans Wilhelm
• Good times on Grandfather Mountain Jaqueline Briggs Martin
• Oliver the Impossible Boy Rex Wilder
• Grawna Becky’s Bread Mark R. Ellsworth