From Amanda's very early writing (1990s to early 2000s), shared as it was originally written.
Feeling Good.
Last weekend , I was speaking at a conference in my favorite wellness resort (The Hyatt at Coolum) and to my delight one of the other speakers was Billy Graham. No - not the long dead evangelist! But close! This Billy is from New Zealand , an ex boxing New Zealand and Australasian title holder and one of the most fascinating people - and dynamic speakers - I have met.
He has a lovely wife , an eight day old son, is very successful, dyslexic, was thrown out of school, spent much of his very early years in and out of boys institutions and was 'saved' by a boxing coach introduced to him by the police!
This boxing coach turned young Billy's life around with discipline and caring and by installing in the children he guided , a sense of the positive and the importance of encouragement. Now , I could write the whole column on these topics alone - who have you encouraged recently?
Every time I meet Billy , I walk away feeling great! And it's not until afterwards that I realize why I feel great! Not only is he a really enthusiastic person who genuinely enjoys life but he sincerely (and automatically) finds good things to say about the person to whom he is speaking.
Here is a man who can respond to the skeptical comments like 'Oh it's easy for him to be enthusiastic, he's well off' and other similar comments typical of people who are too scared or lazy to go out and work for what they want. He did it tough and started out with no backing or support - until he met the boxing coach. And then he still had to work twice as hard as most people to achieve what he did because it's easy for most of us to write and read.
Pay attention to how you speak to others. Do you encourage? or subtley put them down? Or just ignore them? Try being enthusiastic for a day - even if you feel there is nothing in your life over which to be enthusiastic about. You're alive for starters! And you may be in great health. (If you have ever been sick, you will realize how valuable the average old day when your body and mind are in good working order is) You may have people who care for you - even if they are not family.
I bet if you sat down and tried to think of why you could be enthusiastic - even if it's because 'I am able to make choices and I can decide to change my life circumstances ' - you could make a list.
urealisescepticalsubtlyrealise Then step out for the day and be enthusiastic!
People moan 'I can't fake it '. Hey , try faking it! Physiologically, (big word that means chemistry of your blood stream and body) , your brain doesn't know the difference between reality and vividly imagined - so if you really put on(a good act of being enthusiastic, you will change the chemicals trucking around in your blood stream and you will feel different. (To the cynics reading this - it's true - consult any of the latest journals on psychoneuroimmunology).
So number one hint: be enthusiastic. Think of the most popular people you know - are they permanently depressed or subdued? No! They are known for laughing, jokes, making others feel good, for being sensitive and genuinely caring, for good listening skills etc. Billy 's a pretty popular guy!
Number two hint that Billy shared: his grandmother (Nanna) is 93 years young! And still going strong. One of the things she taught Billy to do was to make a list of people who make him feel good and set it beside a list of people he made feel good. In between these two columns leave space for dates of the last time he telephoned or visited these people.
Isn't that a great idea? If you are willing to make the time and put in the effort to think about and create this list , you would be helping yourself and others. And boosting your immune system. And who knows, that unexpected encouragement you give to another person may be at the perfect time to help them change the direction of their lives - like Billy's coach or the policeman that took him to the coach.
Look around for those people who make you feel good - work out why they make you feel good and then practice the same skills on others you would like to help feel good. Make you list and ring both groups regularly - phone calls only take a few minutes and they are (usually!) cheap. Certainly less expensive than a trip to a psychiatrist, doctor or hospital! And enjoy being enthusiastic!
Ignore those bitter and twisted individuals that snarl "I hate such enthusiastic people" or as one woman was heard to say about me after a conference " she can't be like that all the time - it must be false - nobody could be so up". Wrong, lady! I am a pretty enthusiastic person most of the time - of course, there are times when I am quiet, ready to slash my wrists and life could be better! - but generally speaking , I think life is full of exciting things - we just need to open our eyes and be aware of what's around us and be alert to those opportunities.
