Tuesday, March 28, 2017

"The goal has its importance.  But the doing is what is truly fulfilling.  Every enthusiastic person has a goal that may be important, but the doing is intensely fulfilling, and it is the essence of enthusiasm."  -Eckhart Tolle

“Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch." -Ivern Ball

“Live your truth.  Express your love.  Share your enthusiasm.  Take action towards your dreams.  Walk your talk.  Dance and sing to your music.  Embrace your blessings.  Make today worth remembering.” -Steve Maraboli 
This past weekend I listened and watched in awe as a young woman showered the audience with enthusiasm.  Quickly her fingers danced on the taut strings of her cherished violin, filling every open space with uplifting notes of joy.  The violin became an extension of her spirit and love, with my enthusiasm rising with every change of tempo.  This talented young lady looked skyward with each high note, her eyes lost in sweet emotion and I felt my spirit soaring.

Before sobriety and my New Life, this moment would not have been possible.  My mind and body could not comprehend this feeling, this deep connection to the moment, to life.  Oftentimes, I had overlooked the present to get to the next, which today I understand, created and multiplied feelings of lack.

Statement #11 in action is a portal to purpose, and for me it rides like a wave.  I felt enthusiasm run through me as I listened during the concerto and my skin tingled with goose bumps as my ears absorbed the melodies.  Drawing, painting, or writing, I am aware of enthusiasm but curiously only afterwards.  Maybe because I am so connected to what I am doing that I can only become aware afterwards.  No matter how or when I recognize it, I am grateful to be able live in enthusiasm.

Are you able to recall a time when you felt enthusiasm?  If you are having trouble identifying this feeling in your New Life, what small action can you take to create enthusiasm?
Hugzzz, Karen
I’m taking a class at church with the title, “Fight Back with Joy.”  It seems like an odd choice of words yet I have come to understand that just because I stopped drinking, it did not guarantee me a problem-free life but rather the tools to handle life’s challenges.  Statement 11 has awakened me to the fact it is awareness of the joy in life that requires our attention.

One of the exercises in this class was to identify what we would do if we were given a certain amount of time.  After I made my list, I realized that there was actually nothing stopping me from doing any of the things I listed except now I had a time line.  It’s not as though I didn’t really know this already but seeing it in writing, made it so much clearer.

Statement 11 is about celebrating more, regretting less and DOING.  It is all of the quotes at the beginning of this message.  I made a list of regrets a while ago and, again, seeing it in writing helped me to realize that I was still holding on to things that could not be changed rather than using that energy to add enthusiasm to my life, to search for what brings me joy today.

Perhaps starting with simple joys is a way to start.  The chirping of birds in the early morning, the sound of waves or rain on the roof.  It is the awareness that leads us further into appreciation, action, and treasuring those moments.

How about starting with answering these “sensory” questions:
I love the taste of:
I love the sight of:
I love the feel of:
I love the smell of:
I love the sound of:
-WFS Member
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