Color(s) of Enthusiasm

Image from TribalPizza

I’m a huge fan of romantic films, and one of my all time favorites is Titanic.  It's a spectacular epic - recreating the tragedy of a real-life event, beautifully interweaving a fictional yet absolutely believable love story. 

I (frequently) watch Titanic for Jack and Rose.  I’m smitten by their zest for life (in particular) and a certain naturalness in their characters – something innately raw and spontaneous about them.  Also every time I watch the film, I wonder if a sinking ship, a catastrophe urges us to participate in life more openly – with all heart?  Does it propel us to add more life into the years?  

Typically two kinds of folks are in question here: The one’s who take on more than they can manage (all over the place) and those who pick and choose (mark boundaries).  I think in both cases we end up making promises (mostly, to ourselves) of doing or not doing something *when conditions will be perfect* (and sometimes, miss the point).  

Last week I was catching up with my dear friend S – a long overdue phone call – and she invited me to her new home in Dallas.  She promptly followed up with airline deals from San Fran to Dallas, also offering to buy my ticket (enthusiasm personified, isn’t she?).  But we didn’t end up locking a date.  Then, I was politely reminded:  “You’re the type to take action, sometimes even before a thought comes up…. What happened!?”  S had spoken in the true spirit of girl-talk.  I agreed.

Probably life has a way of accelerating, as we get older.  The to-dos get bulkier and that list of promises grows longer.  I don’t mean that you should do (or dismiss) something immediately.  Weighing options could take time, but may be chewing on them could weigh you down.  I’m talking about the thinking process – lingering (too much) over a task, a decision, a grudge, a situation.  That could essentially sap productivity, energy and time. 

I'm reminded about the story of a king, who was deeply loved and respected, but the people of his kingdom began to visit a new saint in town.  The startled king decided to meet the saint and find out why his people were so fond of him.  When he entered the saint’s abode, he was shocked to see no riches or delicious food; in fact the saint was dressed in simple attire and lived in a small home.  Puzzled by this he asked the saint, “You have nothing to give to anyone, so what makes you more special than me?  The saint answered in all his glory, “My dear, when I eat, I eat; when I bathe, I bathe; when I water the plants, I water the plants.  But when you eat, you think; when you bathe, you think; when you water the plants, you think!”

PS: My friend S will be visiting in Summer – YAYY!