Focus Enthusiasm: RsH-G3

Powering Virtuous Circles

You need support if you are to meet a genuine challenge creatively.However, the most important support is the support you provide for yourself. And that comes from enthusiasm. The origin of the term derives from the notion of being «inspired or possessed by a god».

Enthusiasm arises naturally: it energizes you and others to pursue activities. However, enthusiasm tends to diffuse over the whole challenge and needs to be focused for optimum effect. When you focus enthusiasm you feel an inner support for particular relevant activities, even if you ordinarily would find them boring or unpleasant. Although enthusiasm may seem weak, in that it can rather easily wax and wane, it is contagious and lends itself to relatively easy activation.

The function of this Grouping is to energize yourself and others to pursue activities relevant to meeting your challenge. You and others must feel that your particular way of addressing your challenge is worthwhile. Enthusiasm leads you to work hard in your chosen way. When others are enthusiastic and provide inputs, they confirm the value of what you are doing. There should be a virtuous circle: the more you support them, the more they support you.

However, you cannot just spray enthusiasm around. If you do it will have little effect. You cannot even blindly follow your own enthusiasms. If you do, you will end up being activated to little point and engaged in something that sooner rather than later becomes boring or irrelevant to your goals.

The quality that is called for here is shrewdness. You must somehow ensure that whatever you do fits in a viable way with your own experiences, relevant individuals, the situation or activities that forward the creative effort. That takes a mix of insight, understanding, ability to predict, and nous.

Addition of a 3rd adjacent Level of using willpower (g3) contributes this shrewd quality, and reveals 5 Generators of Support (Triads: RsHG3) as follows:

• Activation-RG3⁵
• Appreciation-RG3⁴
• Sharing-RG3³
• Interest-RG3²
• Engagement-RG3¹

Enthusiasm's Methods and Rationales

Focused enthusiasm-G3 bolsters the energies already released by using willpower-G1 and provides the push for social activities. You cannot proceed effectively without it. Others who are under no obligation to be concerned with your personal challenge need to feel your enthusiasm in order to respond. Who you choose to involve, and how, is up to you.

• In the transcendental Triad, activating-RG3⁵ yourself (and others) in regard to the most important aspects of your project is how enthusiasm is most commonly perceived. Such support is general.

The demand on you: Get aroused (and arouse others) generally in relation to the project.

Your desired benefit:  Recognition of the value of the project, and its feasibility.

Naturally, you will be more activated if others are activated.

• Appreciating-RG3⁴ yourself (and others) provides for interpersonal exchanges of support.

The demand on you: Show that you value your own (and another's) significance for meeting the challenge.

Your desired benefit:  Reciprocal recognition of a person's value in pursuing the project.

Such appreciation, especially if mutual, sustains self-esteem and well-being.

• In the Triad centred on inner experiences, support comes from intrapersonal feelings. It is obtained by sharing-RG3³ with yourself (and others) certain details of what is going on in your project.

The demand on you: Recall and highlight special details of your experiences in progressing the project. This can happen in your own mind or in conversations.

Your desired benefit:  Emotional encouragement and useful ideas that nourish your creative efforts.

Sharing can be just one-way (e.g. with an advisor) but it often feels better when it is mutual, especially if it is a friend or colleague.

• Interesting-RG3² yourself (and others) in the project may lead them to make a limited contribution.

The demand on you: Excite curiosity in yourself (and others) in specific aspects of the project based on pre-existing relevant interests and ambitions.

Your desired benefit:  Useful tangible assistance—providing funds, making an introduction, offering facilities—anything short of doing work or giving much time.

Your interest in another's interests leads to their interest in your interests.

• In the actualization Triad, the goal is to engage-RG3⁴ yourself (and others) with the challenge, so that there will be direct, ongoing, practical efforts to meet the challenge.

The demand on you: Provide inducements that lead you (and others) to work productively and responsibly.

Your desired benefit: A mindset that leads to someone performing a useful function in your project i.e. initiating and completing tasks.

When another is engaged in your project, you must engage with them and their efforts and outcomes, which further supports their engagement.

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• Now, look more closely at each generator of support.

Originally posted: 31-Jan-2012