“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things……I play with leaves, I skip down the street and run against the wind.” ~~Leo Buscaglia
“The possibility of the dream gives strength.” ~~Lailah Gifty Akita Pearls of Wisdom: Great Mind
“It’s faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes a life worth living.” ~~Oliver Wendall Holmes
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#11 Enthusiasm is my daily exercise.
I treasure the moments of my New Life.
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Early on my sobriety and recovery journey it was difficult to identify enthusiasm. Everything felt flat, in fact, one of the first times being conscious of a lack of enthusiasm came when I was riding in a race car at 190 MPH. With my helmet snuggly down on my head and my fire suit on, I knew something was missing. I didn’t feel anything. No excitement, no enthusiasm and no fear.
I wanted to feel enthusiastic; here I was, doing something on my bucket list. Statement #11 in action helped my awareness and I began to look deeper into what I was feeling and when. Daily writing in a journal helped me identify patterns and assisted me in finding simple joys and contentment. I became aware that it was unrealistic to feel enthusiasm all the time. (If every day were the 4th Of July, the meaning would be lost)
Statement #11 Tool: From our WFS Program booklet “How can you increase your enthusiasm today? What energizes you naturally? How can you enjoy what you currently have?
Pause at random times throughout the day and identify something to appreciate about that moment. Learn which things make you smile and feel excited. Reflect on your life and find things to be thankful for.” (if you would like to share a tool that assists you with Statement #11, email karen@teamwfs.org
Hugzzz
Karen
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Hi 4C Women,
How challenging to create enthusiasm when you might be feeling flat. I give Karen a lot of credit for acknowledging that something was missing and finding a way to change it. I, too, struggle with Statement #11 at times. What helped me was to practice being still and take in what was happening at that moment. For me, that is what treasuring the “moments” of my New Life means to me. I also see it in appreciating what I do have, especially loving and supporting friends, being able to take care of my responsibilities, being creative in decorating for the seasons (that’s when my pure joy and enthusiasm takes wings) and being proactive in standing up for myself and my beliefs. There was a time when I lived in fear of speaking my voice. WFS taught me to be strong and confident even when I didn’t actually believe it. Practice helped and it created an enthusiasm for feeling authentic and free.
I have a list on how to create enthusiasm which I reflect on whenever I need a reminder that there is enthusiasm in my life. It helped me in writing this message and I hope it will inspire you to make your own list of how enthusiasm shows up in your life.
Be passionate Be proactive
Be grateful Be reasonable
Be positive Be patient
Be proud Be enlightened
Be creative Be evolving
Bonded in creating enthusiasm in our daily lives, Dee
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