Nothing great was ever accomplished without ENTHUSIASM

I was honored last week to speak to the Illinois Fire College at the University of Illinois.   I love speaking to those first responders who are usually one of the first to run into a life threatening situation. They understand the risks, have done the training and when that threshold moment is at hand, make the decision to run towards the fire, not away from it.  The Illinois Fire College is one of the premier locations in the United States for top level training of many of the unique situations that firemen are faced with.  As I was doing a tour of the college, I told my escort that I was not only impressed with the facilities and trainers but the energy all the participants had.  And it reminded me of a quote I read when I was in college by Ralph Waldo Emerson,  " Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm."  Firefighting is one of the few professions where you must have enthusiasm and passion for what you do.

I recently did an interview with a station in New Zealand.  The interviewer asked me a question I had not been asked before.  She asked what was one trait I looked for from the people I enjoyed working with.  I had to pause for a moment but after a few seconds, I responded that the people that I usually had the most rapport with were ones that really enjoyed what they were doing and were enthusiastically pursuing it.  I told her that when I was Tony Robbins in Fiji,  I asked him how he could do what he did for so long, in years and on onstage.  He told me that having gratitude and enthusiasm in making a difference were key. After being with him around the world and going for all hours of the day and night, I would concur.  When Tony engages with someone on stage, he is totally focused and will not stop until he gets the outcome.  His enthusiastic approach comes across to the point it shows those watching how having enthusiasm for what you do is not work, it's a passion and it gives you the energy to keep going even when you don't think you can go anymore.  Tony Robbins is who Tony Robbins is because he has total enthusiasm for what he does and his enthusiasm takes him from being excellent to being in the top 1% of those who do what he does.

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might.  Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. "-  Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the questions I get often is " do you ever get tired of talking about the Miracle on the Hudson?"  I tell them I don't. Every day some new distinction or revelation comes out about that day and/or what has happened after.  Before the MotH, I enjoyed what I was doing with the company I was with but my enthusiasm was waning.  My passion was more about serving my clients and being their advocate but the everyday activities you have to do were getting tiresome.  I had done them for 25 years and was at a stage in my life what Tony would call, the need for variety.  My variety was being fed by serving Tony and his mission but after I finished an event and went back to my "everyday" job, it was a job, work, not a passion.  After the "Miracle," I had a number of talks with Tony.  We spoke the night of the plane crash and a few times over the next several weeks. He was there not only to coach me but support me.  He was concerned for me and my family.  So when we met in Chicago several months later and made the decision that I needed to "make my move" and go out on my own mission, it was bittersweet but it was the right decision.  It renewed my enthusiasm for my mission and my life.   It changed my relationships with my wife and family.  I was alive again.  Through the talks and lessons Tony shared with me,  I realized that if I was ever going to be who I could be and impact the people I needed to impact, I had to go about it with enthusiasm, passion, and persistence.  That is what has driven me to do what I do and what I want to share when I go on stage.

One of the six human needs is the need for variety.  If you are in a "stuck" situation, you may have too much certainty in your life and need that kick in the pants, you may need to get some variety in your life, whether that is taking up a sport, traveling or being an entrepreneur and starting a new career.  If you are stuck and don't have any enthusiasm for what you do,  step back and think about the times in your life when you had total passion and enthusiasm and put together a plan to do something outside your norm and get your passion back because you will never approach your greatness without enthusiasm.

Until next time, always remember that all the MOMENTS of preparation you do will count and you will have the confidence to be great when it MATTERS!

Go to DaveSandersonSpeaks.com and for a limited time only,  when you purchase a copy of “Moments Matter“, you will get a copy of the book “HalfTime” free and can get a copy of “Brace for Impact” for $10.50 while supplies last!

I’m excited to share that we’ll have a book signing  of “Moments Matter” on 6/22/16 in Cincinnati, Ohio.  I would be honored if you are in southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky or southeast Indiana if you would join me! 

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Dave Sanderson is the Managing Partner of his firm, Dave Sanderson Speaks Enterprises based out of Charlotte, NC.  On January 15, 2009, Dave was the last passenger off the plane that crashed into the Hudson River, best known as “The Miracle on the Hudson” and was largely responsible for making sure so many others made it out safely.  In addition to speaking and training, Dave conducts workshops and his book was released titled â€œMoments Matter” on January 19, 2016, in which he discusses how by employing 12 key resources was a key factor that turned a potential tragedy into the “Miracle on the Hudson” and how does one take a potentially tragic experience and turn it into an opportunity to grow and contribute. He and his wife, Terri, reside in Charlotte, NC. They have four children, Chelsey, Colleen, Courtney, and Chance.