Enthusiasm!

[Lynx]

[h=1]“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” ~Charles Kingsley[/h]
And it's true Charlie. I've known a lot of happy people and a lot of depressed people, and the one thing all the happy people seem to have in common is that they have something in their lives that they are really enthusiastic about. I'm talking about more than just something they enjoy or a hobby they find pleasing, they have something that they really put their lives into. Some people make sports cars their lives. Some people devote most of their free time to (insert sport here.) Some people make their careers their main interest in life (and some people get so depressed when they retire.) Some people make their children their main focus in life. Whatever they settle on, these people pour their whole lives into it. If it is not their reason for living, it at least is of major importance to them.

What do you get enthusiastic about? Why do you get enthusiastic about it? How could you lose it, and what would you do if you lost it?

And above all, BE DETAILED. Don't just say "I like football because it's fun." This is an introspective thread, or at least I hope it will be.

 

[Lynx]

For me of course it's music. Chocolate is good, and will always have a place near to my heart (the stomach IS near the heart) but music is the light of my life. It's something I have found that I enjoy, I happen to be moderately good at and something that I can use to make a difference to other people. A sad song can make me cry, when a sad story usually leaves me unmoved. A happy song can cheer me up when I've had a rough day.

And with modern technology I can make soundtracks for the songs that touch me the most. Then I can sing them at church and affect other people. Even chocolate can't do that.

To answer my own OP question, I have thought about what would happen if I lost my hearing, or if I lost my hands to play music, or if I lost my vision and could not operate a computer to make soundtracks. If I did lose any of these things... well I wouldn't be happy about it. But looking back over my life so far, I would be able to take joy in what I have had so far, and what I have done with it.

Mind you, that doesn't mean I'm ready to lose music just yet. There's still a lot more I want to hear, make and sing. But if I did lose it now I could probably survive.

 

[maxwel]

“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” ~Charles Kingsley


And it's true Charlie. I've known a lot of happy people and a lot of depressed people, and the one thing all the happy people seem to have in common is that they have something in their lives that they are really enthusiastic about. I'm talking about more than just something they enjoy or a hobby they find pleasing, they have something that they really put their lives into. Some people make sports cars their lives. Some people devote most of their free time to (insert sport here.) Some people make their careers their main interest in life (and some people get so depressed when they retire.) Some people make their children their main focus in life. Whatever they settle on, these people pour their whole lives into it. If it is not their reason for living, it at least is of major importance to them.

What do you get enthusiastic about? Why do you get enthusiastic about it? How could you lose it, and what would you do if you lost it?

And above all, BE DETAILED. Don't just say "I like football because it's fun." This is an introspective thread, or at least I hope it will be.

So this is all about my enthusiasm?

This feels like an Amway meeting.

Dude, I am so not buying anything from you today.

 

[seoulsearch]

Hey Lynxsus,

I always find it interesting that God creates us all to be enthusiastic about different things. I know you'll consider this a felony , but music is not one of my great enthusiasms. I like music, but it's not a passion for me. But sometimes, just hearing about someone else's enthusiasm (even if I have no interest in what they're enthusiastic about) is contagious. People who are passionate about something and want to use their gifts to help other people are always fun to talk to.

As for me, I'm enthusiastic about communication and creativity. I have a guy friend who is a bit of a Jack-of-all-Trades and when he mentioned "torque" one day while explaining a project, I asked him to explain what it means, because my brain isn't geared for things like that. The most interesting thing to me, even more so than learning about "torque" itself, was observing how he tried to explain it. He understood what it was perfectly (for himself), he just didn't know how to put it into words. Learning how people convey their thoughts and feelings into a medium that others can understand is always fascinating to me.

I think one of my major flaws though is that there isn't any one thing that holds my enthusiasm long enough for me to really gain any kind of foothold or expertise. There are just so many cool things out there that I want to explore a little of everything! I love instructional books, shows, and videos that teach you how to do something, but I hardly ever make what's being demonstrated. Rather, I just like watching the whole process of how someone comes up with and then troubleshoots a creative project.

In general, learning itself seems to be what makes me enthusiastic. I almost always feel a little bit better when I've learned something. But I need a combination of just about every medium there is in order to learn.

I've often wondered... Would I be able to learn as effectively if I couldn't see anymore? Could I still learn without pictures, colors, and being able to watch a process from start to finish? I know I'd have to find a way to cope, but I also know it would create huge challenges to my ability to learn, and, therefore, to my quality of life.

Because of this, I am also very enthusiastic about the importance of converting books and other learning materials into mediums that a wide variety of people can all enjoy, including those who are differently-abled.

 

[Lynx]

That's one thing about enthusiasm - I like how I can appreciate the enthusiasm someone has for something when I don't give a flying flitter about what he is enthusiastic about.

My best friend in the world is a guy named Bryan. He is into MMOs (like World of Warcraft.) Fortunately I have played enough video games and I have knocked about the internet enough to pick up enough of the terminology specific to MMOs that when he talks about him and his friends going on a dungeon raid for a really good loot drop they hope to get (if they can generate enough DPS and their party tank is skilled enough to shield them)... I know what he's talking about. He can rattle on about it for some time and I can listen and even make pertinent comments because I can appreciate his enthusiasm for this avenue of socializing and gaming even though I don't care a thing about MMOs myself.

Of course that's not the only interest he has. He's also into learning the Russian language (Lord help him) running Linux from a flash drive for gaming (that's probably my fault that he got into Linux) and he was telling me just last Sunday about taking two laptops apart much more than he should have had to just to get to the hard drive, because HP has gotten weird lately about how they install hard drives in laptops. There are some interests we share. MMOs though, that I have no interest in at all. But I don't suffer through his tales of what happened last night on a raid, I enjoy them because he's enthusiastic about it and he's my friend. And while he's never going to see Lynx joining him on a raid, I can share his enthusiasm about reaching level XX and getting that Gem of Kasshygst last night.

 

[Lynx]

Oh, and torque... I'm not a car nut, but I can explain a simplified version of what that is. Rotational pressure from the engine to the wheels to make them turn. Torque is modified by the transmission.

Think of it like turning a screw or a bolt. That's torque. And my minivan I bought last December has way too much of it... I have already accidentally spun my tires three times. And it wasn't because the gas pedal is over-sensitive - I wasn't even giving it half the gas I could have. Maybe this vehicle's first gear is too low.

 

[bingbing]

My work... And I always fight for righteousness... and I always lose my job!

 

[chickwithsticks]

I realize knitting falls under the hobby category but I feel it extends beyond a hobby for me. I am definitely enthusiastic about every aspect. It can serve as a bridge to generations, an opener to connect strangers, a starting block to conversations, a ministry tool. I have had opportunities to witness through knitting which were completely unexpected and amazing.

I cannot explain why looking at a pile of beautifully soft and vividly colored yarn makes me smile and brings joy but it does. Knitting is meditative and therapeutic for me. If someone asks me a question about knitting I catch myself going to deep when they give me that look..you know the one..."wow, I really just asked why you use wood instead of metal needles."

I have thought about aging and what I will do if my hands become arthritic and it panics me slightly. I am asumming I will knit lots of blankets with large needles. Lol either way, I doubt my enthusiasm will ever diminish but I am continually seeking opportunities to witness through this incredible craft.

 

[Lynx]

chickwithsticks that's EXACTLY what I meant! It transcends "hobby" and becomes something of real value to you.

And... could I commission a blanket? What are your rates?

 

[chickwithsticks]

I'm very cheap for those that appreciate the labor of love that goes into a blanket (6+ month project)

You just might get one for free!!!