Dale Carnegie knows something about enthusiasm and gusto. He was born into poverty but still managed to earn enough money to put himself through a state teachers’ college. He tried his hand at many things before he settled on teaching public speaking at his local YMCA in 1912. By 1914 he was earning the equivalent of $11,800 per week, and in 1916 he was able to rent out Carnegie Hall to lecture to a packed audience. His best known book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” is still a top seller and his leadership training programs are still taught world wide. If he hadn’t approached his effort with enthusiasm and gusto, his wouldn’t be a household name and millions of people around the world would not be the leaders they are today.
Not every story has to have an ending like Mr. Carnegie’s. Not everything you do has to end in fame and riches. Ideally we’d all love to get out of bed every morning excited to get the day started because of an adventure or project or brainstorm we’re enthusiastic about. But it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes we’re tired, depressed, feeling lazy, or had the wind taken out of our sails. That’s when we need to do another thing Dale Carnegie famously suggested: “If you want to be enthusiastic, act enthusiastic.” In other words, “fake it until you make it.” This is my approach on those mornings I’m having a hard time motivating myself to get dressed, let alone pack my gym bag and drive to the club. After my warm-up, though, I’m fully committed to seeing it through. I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other until momentum takes over and I’m running, or biking, or swimming, or lifting with gusto. When its over, I’m always grateful that I “acted” enthusiastic long enough for actual enthusiasm to show up. I’ve never looked back on a workout and thought “I wish I had stayed in bed,” and I’ve never left a workout to go back to bed. I stay energized and enthusiastic the rest of the day. If you don’t have something in your life that excites you the moment you open your eyes each morning, try to find something worthy of acting excited about. It’ll at least get you out of bed and give real enthusiasm a chance to set in.