Sometimes a little quote will get stuck in my head, kinda rolling around like a marble in labyrinth. The quote may pop up when it’s helpful, like when I’m on the stupid stairmaster and have nothing to do for 30 minutes but step and think. Or; the quote may come up at unhelpful times, like resulting in me having walked to the kitchen and with zero recollection as to why.
The most recent of these quotes was from some olden days radio man’s show. Some 1950’s dude hurls quick insights and quotes at listeners in one of those baritone voices that soothes the soul.
The thing I listened to had a quote that the word “enthusiasm” is from the Greek and means “the God within.” When he said it, I braced for some ongoing words about spirituality that may threaten my core beliefs about the universe. I worried that I was on the precipice of being encouraged to join some new age cult.
Luckily for me, the golden voice moved on quickly. What I’d listened to seemed to be a compilation of the man’s inspirational tidbits. You could almost hear the ads for Simonize in the midst of all Mr. Nightingale’s personal development snippets.
That quote has inspired thought though. Surely the Greek didn’t mean we got God stuff going on internally. At least I hope they didn’t. I can barely manage myself, I really don’t need any extra responsibility like that.
I hope what they were aiming for is that enthusiasm (passion) drives people in the way nothing else can. And that this enthusiasm comes from within.
I want to never take for granted how special it is to see someone do what they do with passion and purpose. It doesn’t have to be the gifted surgeon who travels to 3rd world countries to save lives. I mean; that’s cool and all, but enthusiasm for what someone does can show in countless ways. If you make a kick ass cup of French press coffee, getting after it with intention; then you got that whole Greek thing going on too. Also, seeing the result of someone’s enthusiasm is a gift for everyone.
So thanks Mr. Nightingale for the pinballing thought in my head for the last week. Hopefully it helps me to remember to appreciate the vivacity in others. At the very least thought, it’s also made me think about Greek food and made me hungry. That’s right….THAT’S why I walked in the kitchen!
Thanks for reading!
Bifocals and Barbells 