Enthusiasm-How to have it!

History reminds us that, over the course of a lifetime, most notable men and women have encountered periods of rough going. Time and again, they had to face daunting obstacles and endure failures or setbacks. How they handled these experiences shaped the person they became. Their ultimate triumphs were often due, in large measure, to their refusal to succumb to their mistakes and defeats.

All of us experience times of travail in our work and lives. How we respond to these challenges — with gut instinct and creative intuition and then, afterward, with reflection — transforms a piece of our heart and shapes our future, and that of the people around us.

During informal conversation most of us readily admit that almost nothing worthwhile is achieved without mistakes and setbacks. But we also dread such experiences. We anxiously anticipate them. Murphy’s Law, we call it offhandedly: If something can go wrong, it will. Lost luck, the stars, karma, bad fortune.

But, there is more to it than that.

Adversity, not comfort, is the test of our core and character, both in public and private. Winston Churchill said: “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

Enthusiasm is a rare quality and its achievement is widely admired. The word is derived from the Greek word entheos, meaning “from the spirit within” (funny, I hear actor Michael Constantine’s voice from the film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” when I typed this.)

Adaptability is, in effect, about how well — and readily — you can keep your enthusiasm alive. It’s also about how well you flow with changing circumstances, rules, regulations and needs.

Think back to some of the relationships that you had over your lifetime. I would bet good money that none of us said at very beginning of that relationship: “Well, there are going to be failures and challenges.” And yet we all know that there will be pressures, challenges and difficulties that will arise if the relationship lasts for an extended period of time.

It is how we handle that pressure, how we react to those circumstances which arise, and how we take responsibility for our actions that will determine the outcome and nature of the relationship in the future.

Some people feel that they can do no wrong and instinctively blame others or circumstances for every misstep. Others blame themselves for everything, even when they were only slightly responsible. Either of these habits can prove to be a serious problem in business and life. Emotionally intelligent people only accept fair blame - no more, no less - for mistakes and setbacks.

While there are many situations in which we can’t control what is happening or even the outcome, we can always control how we relate to it. This is true adaptability, which in turn promotes resilience. It is the resilience we develop in our lives that becomes the cornerstone of both successful and lasting relationships.