source：philosiblog | by BRET STETKA, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
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Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. – Winston Churchill
What does that mean?
We all have days when things refuse to go right for us. Sometimes we get mad, sometimes we get frustrated. But what happens next?
If you can pull yourself together and try again, well that is exactly how this quote defines success. If you keep trying, learn from what you did, and adjust your approach, eventually you will succeed.
But to get there, you have to keep at it. You have to go from one disappointment to the next without loosing your enthusiasm for attaining the goal.
If you can keep your enthusiasm, motivation, desire or whatever term you use for your driving force, you stand a great chance of lasting through the failures and achieving success.
Why is enthusiasm important?
Let’s start with the definition of enthusiasm. At TheFreeDictionary.com, it is defined as “Great excitement for or interest in a subject or cause.” That fits in well with the quote, as it is all about keeping your enthusiasm going, despite a string of less than desirable results, right?
But where do you get your enthusiasm? What gives it to you? Why is it exciting or so very interesting that you just have to keep after it? What makes it drive you to try again and again, until you have managed to satisfy that excitement, or quench your interest in the attainment of the goal?
Think about what happens when you have no enthusiasm for a task. As soon as something goes wrong, you walk away. You have no interest, no enthusiasm, and you’re glad it’s over. How big a deal is it? What have you really lost? Besides any chance of ever accomplishing the goal? But you didn’t care, right?
However, when you have enthusiasm, that setback is just a tiny blip, hardly even noticed. You take a moment to consider what you learned from it, and then move on to your next attempt. In short, enthusiasm is the engine which keeps you moving towards your goal, despite any and every setback along the way.
Where can I apply this in my life?
We all have times when we are enthusiastic. And we have times when we are not. Sometimes on the same day, and with the same goal. But, after we’ve had a chance to relax and cool down a bit, we go back. Enthusiasm is like that. We want to try again, even though it was ugly just a short time ago.
Take a moment and think of all the things you have had some enthusiasm, and then lost it. Did you then found it again? Was it dating, a love-hate relationship with a brand or type of car, or even a phone or laptop? Everything is great, then something stops working. A failure. Now what?
Sometimes you get right back to it. Those times you simply refuse to be beaten, you refuse to give in. You decide you will win, and you try again. Other times, you have to walk away for a bit. But if you are truly enthusiastic, you will come back. You will want to try again. Your excitement and interest will not quit.
There are times with this blog when my enthusiasm wanes. I refuse to quit, but some times are harder than others. It can be quite difficult to define success or failure. Sometimes I have high expectations for comments or retweets, and nothing happens. Other times, the reaction is great. It can be hard to tell.
But my enthusiasm springs from the challenge of each new quote, and how to apply it to the lives we live in this world. The excitement of finding and sourcing a quote is also part of what keeps my interest, and keeps me coming back week after week, for nearly three and a half years, and now 1200 posts.
Take a moment and consider where in your life you desire success. Try to come up with a few possibilities so you have some choices and options between them. Pick one to work with first, and grab some paper. Try to write down everything which would be exciting or would hold your interest.
How does the list look? What if you tried something and failed. Is there something on the list that would get you going again? If not, you need to dig deeper to find was to keep your excited or interested in the project until you have achieved success, however that might be defined.
We all have good days and bad days. Days when success comes easily, and days when all we get is failure after failure. What is your level of enthusiasm? That will determine when, if ever, you try again. And that is a decision you make. Can you go on, can you find a reason? Can you regain your enthusiasm?
