The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons ^[1], Napoleon Hill’s 1,600+ page monstrosity published prior to Think and Grow Rich ^[2], contains a lot of useful information that can help you realise your potential. In this series ^[3], Joshua Moore covers each of these attributes in a practical way that you can apply to your life and work. Today he discusses the value of enthusiasm.

Also in this series:

• Lesson #1: The Master Mind ^[4]
• Lesson #2: A Definite Chief Aim ^[5]
• Lesson #3: Self Confidence ^[6]
• Lesson #4: The Habit of Saving ^[7]
• Lesson #5: Initiative and Leadership ^[8]
• Lesson #6: Imagination ^[9]

Are you enthusiastic?

As individuals we have our ups and downs. This is a part of life. However, where possible, we should try not to let out emotions cloud are enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm is Napoleon Hill’s seventh law of success. It is enthusiasm that conveys desire, interest and motive from one individual to another. Napoleon Hill states at the very start of the chapter, “Enthusiasm is a state of mind that inspires and arouses one to put action into the task at hand.” I can definitely testify from my own life that when I am enthusiastic about something, action follows.

Enthusiasm is effective in two ways:

It affects you

According to Hill, Enthusiasm has many personal benefits for you. Some of these include:

• The ability to mix enthusiasm with your work to avoid monotony or the feeling that your job is hard.
• It energises your body so you can perform more in less time and so that you can live with less sleep of a night.
• It helps you to develop a dynamic personality.
• It can help you plans out your Definite Chief Aim ^[10].
• It can help you get on the path towards your Definite Chief Aim.

What other ways could you benefit personally from enthusiasm in your life?

It affects others

Enthusiasm is contagious. If you go about your work passionately and are being an example to others, they are likely to be attracted to that. Enthusiasm is a character trait that many covet but few possess.

Hill discusses at length in the book how enthusiasm is one of the key ingredients for suggestion. Suggestion is what allows a salesperson to make sales. Perhaps a better word is ‘influence’, as influence only occurs when someone is confident in you and, therefore, you can demonstrate your enthusiasm about selling yourself, your product or your services.

Hill uses an example of a previous book he wrote before The Law of Success. In an effort to acquire testimonials, he sent out letters to those he hoped would write them. Because he failed to mix enthusiasm into the letter or demonstrate a benefit to the writers of the testimonials, he failed to receive any. He revised his letters and sent it out to a new audience — this time receiving several responses. He puts a copy of one letter from each batch sent out in the book and does a comparison of them.

Hill stresses that enthusiasm is only effective when one genuinely believes in the cause. It is impossible to become enthusiastic about something you don’t believe in.

According to Hill, there are seven stimuli that produce enthusiasm. They are:

1. Doing work that you love.
2. A working environment where you are in contact with others who are enthusiastic and optimistic.
3. Financial success.
4. Complete mastery and application of the laws of success in all daily endeavours.
5. Good health.
6. The knowledge that you have helped serve others in some beneficial manner.
7. Good clothes in relation to your occupation.

Hill expresses the last point by using a story from his own life from the end of the First World War. He says that the world “forms its first and most lasting impressions of a man by the clothes he wears”. Being aware of this fact, Hill went to a few places and bought several new suits, shirts, underwear, socks, ties, etc. This totalled $675, which he could not afford to pay. However, the result of a plan aligned with the clothes he wore quickly saw him get a business deal for a magazine he was planning to start, along with $30,000 funding to start it.

How enthusiastic are you? Do you value yourself enough to invest in yourself by getting a nice wardrobe of clothing and looking your best? What benefits could come to your life by applying enthusiasm in all that you do?

Actions:

• Acknowledge the effect that enthusiasm can have on you and others in your life.
• Determine if you are enthusiastic about your Definite Chief Aim in life.
• Ensure that you only do things you believe in.
• Back all that you do with enthusiasm.
• Find which of the seven stimuli you can use to produce enthusiasm.
• Invest in yourself. Buy a good wardrobe and get the best quality possible. One piece of advice I read once was to ‘pay twice as much and buy half as many’ if you are on a budget. Consider the advantages that good presentation will have on your results when applying for a new job, starting a new business, meeting with a new client, developing your self-confidence, etc.

Joshua Moore is the founder of Moore Thought ^[11], a website dedicated to helping people tap their mind and reach their potential in life.