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. It's pretty hard to be enthusiastic about life when you're living someone else's. Not being yourself is just so draining; no wonder it's hard to muster up enthusiasm. In order to channel that gusto, you gotta be yourself first and foremost. Pretending to be something you're not takes up all your resources you could be using on doing what you actually enjoy and could get excited about. A lot of us try super hard to fit into a mold that society has deemed correct. Boo. We're not going to enjoy the things our friends enjoy, we're not going to get fulfillment out of the things that fulfill others. So don't waste your time! It's only when you're naturally you that you can find what drives you and grab a firm hold. Then you can work on being enthusiastic. You're on this page for a reason. Most likely someone around you is giving you crap about your lack of energy. Very few people look objectively at themselves and say, "Hmm. I wonder why I'm not peppier." But whatever your reason, you probably have an inkling as to why. Is it your job? Your love life? Or is it more of a universal, 24/7 thing that's dragging you down? It's natural to get stuck in a rut. These things happen. They also end at some point. But then there's clinical depression and that's a whole other can of worms. If it's something you've never thought about, think about it now. Is it a lack of enthusiasm or is it a bigger issue? What's your gut tell you? If someone handed you a math test and said, "Here's the exam. It's stuff you didn't even dream of touching in college. Good luck, kid," how might that feel? Pretty daunting, probably. If instead they said, "Here's the exam -- it's gonna be tough, but it's doable," what would you think then? You'd be a lot more motivated and feel a lot better about taking that exam! The same goes for enthusiasm; you're not gonna get excited about something if it's terrible! Think about it. How easy is it to be excited about something that's doable and that you know you're capable of achieving? It's a lot harder to get enthusiastic about things that we straight up don't think will ever materialize. And what's often the difference? Our way of thinking. Sometimes, that's literally the only obstacle. Now that you're at least trying to think positive, what are the goals that you'd like to achieve? How would you go about achieving them? What do you want to be enthusiastic about? It's hard to be enthusiastic when we're floundering about life without purpose. Knowing exactly what you want to do and exactly how you want to go about it is giving you something to be enthusiastic about. If you want to get skinny, it's hard to be enthusiastic about wanting to get skinny. But if you're working out 30 minutes a week and eating tons of veggies, that's direct behavior to get excited about. It's all well and good to have goals, but you gotta actually believe that you can achieve them. If your goal is too lofty, bring it down a notch. Bring it down a notch until you can readily believe that it's something you can make happen. If it's realistic, the only thing stopping you is you. Having a goal of becoming the King or Queen of England would be pretty damn hard to get excited about. Make sure your goals are feasible -- if in doubt, just start on a slightly smaller scale. Want to start your own business but don't know thing one about it? Make goals of taking business courses and networking. Smaller things that are totally doable and totally useful. Often when we're not enthusiastic, it's because we've made up some excuse as to why not to be. We don't want to be enthusiastic because we don't want to get our hopes up, we're not enthusiastic because we're too unsure to be enthusiastic, or we're not enthusiastic because we're worried others will judge us. These are all crap reasons! Your enthusiasm should be undaunted and unaffected by others or by insecurities. What's stopping you? Realize that your desire to be enthusiastic is there -- it's just buried under a pile of worry and fear. When we grow up, often adults call that "reason." It's very much so a learned thing. We had it when we were children; it's time to get it back!
Find yourself Figure out why you're lacking enthusiasm. Start thinking positively. Define your goals and how you'll achieve them. Convince yourself. Get over your fear of disappointment/making the wrong decision/looking silly.