I do enthusiasm easily and well, always have; I even had a friend in college who once said to me, "Diane, you'd be really attractive if you weren't so damn enthusiastic." That friendship obviously didn't last, but those words had a staying power; there's still some part of me that feels guilty and embarrassed when I lose myself in enthusiasm.
Which I think must explain why I hated watching that video of myself so much (hey, I promise, this is the last time I'll mention this!). I was, at the time, lost in the throes of enthusiasm, doing something I genuinely loved.
One of the things Tolle said in today's reading was that the ego hates enthusiasm, because it's out of the ego's control. So of course my ego, watching that video later, would be horrified.
So okay, ego; get over yourself!
Enthusiasm is also my excuse for images like this. It's just the side of an old boat that's used as a dry dock. But I love it; it's just -- cool. But maybe it actually isn't; I just get excited at the way simple things like rust and old boards and driftwood can lead to such delicious compositions...
I also get enthusiastic about coincidences and connections. So it was great to discover that Hafiz's poem yesterday, in A Year With Hafiz, also addresses enthusiasm:
Rave-Worthy
What is true enlightenment?
It is knowing everything is rave-worthy,
but having the balance, the discernment,
to withhold your applause at times,
when there are young souls near...
or people trying to sleep.
Yeah. That's the problem. I just haven't quite figured out yet how to hold the applause.
That's SO not cool...
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