As many of you know, I currently have 10 puppies living at my house. Now I will tell you, 10 puppies can be noisy, messy, and a bit of a pain sometimes. However, there’s nothing that brings an enthusiastic smile to someone’s face more quickly than puppies.
Think about it. Have you ever heard anyone say,
“Oh look, puppies,” with a monotone voice reminiscent of Ferris Bueller’s teacher. Heck no.
When people see puppies, their faces light up, their voices go up three octaves and they say,
“OH LOOK! PUPPIES!!!!!”
Then everyone who turns to see the puppies starts to oooh, and aaah, and the enthusiasm spreads! It’s a communication phenomenon known as “The Puppy Effect.” Okay, I made that up, but that’s what it SHOULD be called.
Spending the past eight weeks with these puppies and experiencing people’s enthusiastic reactions got me thinking about the effect of enthusiasm in our work and personal lives and how even a little can have a big impact on the direction of our day and our lives. Based on my research, I found there are a LOT of benefits, both for ourselves and those around us, for communicating enthusiasm.
I came to the conclusion that we should all work a little harder to be less apathetic, disinterested, and dispirited, and not only BE more enthusiastic, but communicate our enthusiasm to others!
Here are 10 scientifically proven reasons why:
1. Enthusiasm is energizing and lifts people’s spirits
2. Enthusiastic people are more enjoyable to be around
3. Enthusiastic leaders are people others will willingly follow
4. Enthusiasm improves relationships
5. Enthusiasm enhances creativity
6. Enthusiasm opens your mind to new possibilities
7. Enthusiasm allows you to solve problems more effectively
8. Enthusiastic employees generally get more recognition, better performance evaluations, and more frequent promotions
9. Enthusiastic people are more likely to get hired for a position, even if they’re not exactly as qualified as a less-enthusiastic competitor
10. An organization with enthusiastic people is a place both employees and customers willingly go to every day
So don’t be a Debbie Downer, a Negative Nancy, or a Bernie Bummer. Communicate your enthusiasm whenever and wherever you can so it spreads to everyone around you!
What other good things happen when we spread enthusiasm? Comment and let us know!
