I am on a road trip with my husband today, and we stopped at a McDonald's for coffee and a bit of breakfast; you see, we were supposed to be on a plane to Oklahoma City to visit family and watch my daughter and son-in-law sing in a performance of Lucia Di Lammermoor with Painted Sky Opera. We arrived at the airport two hours before our flight was to leave, and the Detroit airport was packed to the rafters with travelers. As we struggled to find the correct luggage line to stand in, my husband went to the kiosk to print our baggage tags and found out that our flight had been canceled. Then, we got a notification on your cell phones - Duh. Hundreds of people in the airport were in the same position, with no solution in sight. We checked the flights on all other airlines for days, and there was nothing. So, we returned to our car and started the 1000+-mile drive to our destination.
About forty minutes in, we stopped at a McDonald’s for some much needed coffee, food, and water for trip. The McDonald's we visited was just off the highway in northern Ohio. The lobby was occupied by several large kiosks, with no one at the counter to help with ordering. So we ordered on the kiosks and stood by, waiting for our food to be brought out. As I was observing the workings of the "kitchen" behind the counter, I noticed that there was little to no enthusiasm amongst the employees. They were sleepily going about their work. The young man who brought the food to the patrons mumbled order numbers, barely audible to the people waiting for food. When our order came up after five or ten minutes, we missed a coffee and two bottles of water that we had ordered.
My husband politely asked the young man about the missing items, and he just looked at us, said nothing, and went to get the rest of the order. No, "I apologize for the oversight." Or "One moment, please." It was just a slack-jawed, expressionless stare. After leaving with our purchase in hand, we returned to the road. I asked my husband if he thought the young man was rude or just quiet or dejected. Did he hate his job, or was he hung over from parties the evening before? We will probably never know, but it got me thinking about enthusiasm and how working to become more interested or enthusiastic about your job might make it more enjoyable. I worked at McDonald's when I was in college, working my way to veterinary school, and I remember the required greeting, "Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order, please?" I still remember the exact words because I had to tell every customer. If we didn't greet the customers with a smile, we would be "talked to" by the manager.
We know that putting a smile on our faces, even when we don't feel happy, will change our brains into more happy feelings. When I coach people about enjoying their jobs more, I often try to remind them of the things they like about veterinary medicine and offer them the idea that finding joy and fulfillment in life starts with working on your enthusiasm.
We all want to feel happy more often and achieve more in our lives. One way to achieve greater happiness and success is to become more enthusiastic about whatever you do. I wouldn't say I like riding in the car necessarily, but if I try to find things to be excited about along the way, like a good McDonald's coffee or beautiful scenery, the trip will go by faster and easier. I become more enthusiastic about road trips. Have you ever visited a Buc-ee’s on a roadtrip? Now, those people have enthusiasm for their job.
You must become enthusiastic about your endeavors to succeed and have fun.
The definition of enthusiasm is "intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval. A feeling of energetic interest in a particular subject or activity and an eagerness to be involved in it."
Why is enthusiasm so important?
It keeps you optimistic when failure happens. We all know that life is full of ups and downs, and there is no way to avoid that. I experienced a "down" today by having my flight canceled, but then decided to be enthusiastic about a road trip. The fact that we were at our home airport and also had the time to add a couple of days to the trip kept me optimistic that I would still have a good time.
Enthusiasm helps keep you focused. When distractions occur, staying focused on the task is difficult unless you are energetically and enthusiastically engaged in your work. Exuberance increases focus.
It increases your motivation. You must remain motivated to do big things with your life. A positive and enthusiastic attitude toward each step toward your goals builds your motivation.
To achieve your dreams, you must constantly work and take action. Enthusiasm fuels passion, and passion inspires consistent action.
To increase your enthusiasm for your life, you must start by asking yourself, what do you believe and care deeply about? What makes you feel alive, or what things break your heart? What do you want to leave behind when you can no longer work or achieve? What do you want to change?
Enthusiasm is built by understanding your passions and values and turning those passions into goals. Elon Musk wanted to develop the best electric car, and the Wright Brothers wanted to fly. Enthusiasm kept them focused when they experienced difficulties or failures. If I could talk to the young man in the McDonald's, I would tell him to find enthusiasm for delivering food to hungry people. He would be happier, more successful, and more fulfilled; his customers would feel better, too.
What is it that you want from your life? If you want happiness, build enthusiasm for your current situation and look forward to your dreams.
It is all up to you.
Dr. Julie Cappel
"The real secret to success is enthusiasm." - Walter Chrysler
"If you want to be enthusiastic, act enthusiastic." - Dale Carnegie
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