Living with Enthusiasm

Turner Field in Atlanta, GA

A friend and I went on a tour of Turner Field, home to the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball team, and we had the most amazing tour guide. He was clearly knowledgeable about Turner Field and Atlanta Braves history, but it was his enthusiasm that was most refreshing. He shared anecdotes not only about the Braves, but about Major League Baseball and the city of Atlanta. His zeal led me to question how I impact those I encounter, even in ordinary situations.

As we go through daily routines it can be easy for us to pay more attention to the stresses that accompany work. It could be an unsupportive boss, office politics, being undervalued, having unreasonable demands placed upon us, and other sources of anxiety related to being employed. As exciting as it may be to work for an organization like the Atlanta Braves, our tour guide has some source of job-related stress, but it was not evident during the time he spent with us. He performed his job with pride and pleasure. On the surface it appears that he was only leading a tour of a sporting facility, but his demeanor left an impression on me.

We aren’t always sure how our behavior impacts others. Our tour guide may think he was simply doing his job, but his temperament will prompt me to be more mindful of my attitude. His energy will remind me to pay more attention when I encounter others in seemingly mundane situations. His appreciation for his job will help me to be more appreciative of my time, no matter how I spend it. While giving me a tour filled with historical facts and figures, my tour guide taught me that living with enthusiasm is more influential than living in a state of apathy. When we elect to live life half-heartedly we reflect and attract colorlessness, and ultimately risk becoming forgettable.

What's Your Motivation?

At some point you heard about the claim that the world would begin to end on May 21. Some completely ignored it. Others mocked it. Some didn’t take it seriously, but said an extra prayer just in case. Others actually made changes to their lives in preparation. No matter how you interpreted this weekend's reports, I'm sure at some point you've considered what you would do if you knew you only had a day left to live. Over the weekend, I viewed reactions to this question and the answers were as varied as you can imagine. People said everything from getting drunk or high, making amends with others, and even making amends with God. Wherever you stand on the spectrum, I'd encourage you to ask yourself whether you are motivated by death or by life.

If you took a moment to reflect on how you would spend your last twenty-four hours and your answer was drastically different from your normal activities you may want to consider how you are living. It really shouldn't take something as drastic as the thought of the world ending or something as final as death for you to heal a broken relationship, forgive someone, try something new, listen inwardly, spend more time with family, or be grateful for what you have and who you are. Shouldn't living—not the potential absence of it—inspire you more? Shouldn't the thought of having ten, twenty, thirty, and maybe even forty more years of life be a bigger source of motivation than the inevitability of a final few hours? Why spend your perceived last twenty-four hours living a life that you could live for the next twenty-four years?

If you want a more meaningful relationship with your spouse or children, take the steps necessary to initiate that process. If you want to reconcile a broken relationship with a family member or an old friend write that letter, send that email, or make that phone call. If you want your life to have more purpose, seek out opportunities to give more of yourself. If you want a better spiritual life become active in practicing spirituality. If there's any area of your life that you'd like to improve start that improvement today. Don't wait for disaster, natural or otherwise, to be motivated to live. The world hasn't ended. You still have time. Don't wait for an impending end to motivate you more than the miracle of life.