Enthusiasm

By Suzie Carr

@girl_novelist

I woke up this morning feeling tired and a little cranky for no particular reason. I set out walking my dogs, Sunshine and Bumblebee, in a state of mindless abandonment, getting irritated when they took too long to sniff a patch of grass. As I rounded the bend at the end of my street, my female dog, Bumblebee, became super excited over a tennis ball she found sitting lonely on the sidewalk. You would have thought she discovered a lifetime supply of dog biscuits the way her tail wagged and her ears perked.

In that moment, we all came alive, awoken by Bumblebee’s enthusiastic energy. After this, she pranced around the neighborhood holding onto that ball like it was a part of her exuberant being now, grateful that the day had presented her with a beautiful gift.

Gratitude – the golden ticket to enthusiasm.

As she pranced, I felt inspired to catalogue things for which I was grateful – the mild air, the light breeze, my two healthy dogs, my safe neighborhood, etc. I pranced alongside Bumblebee and Sunshine for another fifteen minutes, and by the time I walked back into my house, my list was still not complete. My heart overflowed with gratitude for everything I had been gifted in life.

My entire demeanor transformed from sleepy to enthusiastic by simply shifting my focus to gratitude for everything and everyone in my life. Thanks to my Bumblebee this morning, I caught her enthusiasm out of her gratitude over her new toy. Now, who knows? Maybe someone I come across today will catch some of her enthusiasm from me.

Here’s hoping!

Suzie Carr