The Fire of Enthusiasm

I read an article recently that talked about the Open Source movement, and why it managed to create such good software. The author said that MicroSoft could not pay people enough to produce stuff as good as a bunch of guys could produce who really believed in the project – or words to that effect.

There is a good deal of truth to that, and an application where business is concerned.  The lesson we get from it is, that pay does not determine our output. We work hardest for what we believe in most. We will stick something out if we love it and want it badly enough, even when it isn’t paying off like we want. But we won’t keep doing something, no matter how much it pays, if we can’t stand to get up in the morning and face it.

Quality of life is a term that is bandied about a lot lately. Most people translate that to mean money, but it doesn’t. Why do you think people give it all up to go homestead in Alaska? That isn’t about money!

When you love something, you can also become a powerful persuader – without even trying to be a salesperson. People tell me over and over that they can see that I am very passionate about what I do – usually they tell me that when I am not even aware that I am waxing enthusiastic about a topic. My interest in what I do compels me to both learn about it, and share it. That is more powerful than any trained salesperson, because it is real, and anyone can see that.

Combine that kind of enthusiasm with an equal degree of enthusiasm for caring about others, and you have an elixir that works better than any other marketing brew. Not that you don’t have to learn how to market well, or do the right things when you market, but just that when you top it off with a dollop of that kind of fire, you become unstoppable.

Look at the people who you know that are great business people, who had to sell their business to others early on. They have energy, enthusiasm, drive, and are perceived as an unstoppable force. It started with them having a dream to do something they felt really needed to be done.

Is your business that, to you? If it is, then keep working and learning, and the fire of your enthusiasm will eventually consume the obstacles in your path. If it is not, then figure out why, and make the adjustments so you can get up every morning with that excitement to get to work on changing your corner of the world.