Idea 23: Enthusiasm

I cannot think of any truly successful person who lacks enthusiasm. Can you? This is why it is top of my generic qualities list.

For the Greeks, enthusiasm was a divine gift. The Greek word literally means to be possessed by a god – what we would now call to be inspired. The symptoms of an enthusiastic person are well known: a lively or strong interest for a cause or activity; a great eagerness; an intense and sometimes even passionate zeal for the work in hand.

You can see why Shakespeare in Henry IV identifies enthusiasm as ‘the very lifeblood of our enterprise’. It is the lifeblood of your enterprise too.

Nowadays passion is often used as a synonym for enthusiasm. Passion is actually a much stronger word, suggesting something ...

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