Add Enthusiasm to Your Life

Enthusiasm is one of the most important components of success, in any endeavor. Frank Bettger, a former second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals made that point in his book. He tells about playing for a minor league team in Pennsylvania where the manager told him, “Frank, I don’t like firing you because you’re a good baseball player, but you haven’t got any enthusiasm to play baseball. So, I’ve got to let you go.” After that he played for a Delaware team in an even lower league. Bettger played the same unenthusiastic baseball. One day one of the players asked him, “Frank, don’t you like to play baseball?”
“Oh, yes, I love it”, he responded.
“Then, play it like you love it. You’ve got to be enthusiastic. Go out there and act enthusiastic.”
“But, I don’t feel enthusiastic,” answered Frank.
“Act as though you do, and you’ll get it.”
Bettger next stop was with a New Haven team. The first day the temperature on the field soared to 90 degrees in the shade. But, Frank ran the bases like a man electrified. He threw the ball with such force that it seared the hands of the other players. He was like a man let loose. He hit at every ball, good ones, bad ones, all of them, resulting in several good hits. The following day the New Haven newspaper asked, “Where did our team get this human dynamo? This man is super enthusiastic.” They named him “Pep” Bettger. Before long a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals visited and hired him. Thus, in one season, he moved up from a class D team to the national league where he completed a distinguished career.
Frank Bettger always had ability and when enthusiasm was added to the mix, he became one of the greatest second basemen of all time. He said, “What is the use of living, if you don’t give it all you’ve got”.
Are you giving it all you’ve got? Where in your life do you need to add enthusiasm? What would your life be like if you became a human dynamo?