A year or two after I bought a PT Cruiser, the battery died. Although I am not mechanically inclined when it comes to cars (I had a mechanical bypass when I was very young) I had changed a few batteries in my time. Not a big deal, right? Well…
I popped the hood and started to take out the old battery but I could not figure it out. I could not even figure out how to get TO the battery, much less take it out! A neighbor noticed my dilemma and came over to help me out. He knew how to work on cars and he could not figure it out either! I started to not feel so bad, but I still needed to get that dead battery out of my car.
We spent over an hour trying to figure out how to get that battery out with no progress at all. Then my wife came out with her laptop…Yes…her laptop. She showed us a 5-minute YouTube video on “How to change a battery in a PT Cruiser”.
Five minutes after watching the video, I had the dead battery out, the new battery in, and the car running. It is amazing how much smoother things go when you “know how” to do something! Once I took the time to learn how to change the battery in my PT Cruiser (which, by the way, was unlike any car I had changed a battery in before) it was simple, smooth, and even enjoyable.
In my past two blogs I have discussed the first two ingredients of ENTHUSIASM: Energy and Passion. The third ENTHUSIASM ingredient is “know-how”. When you know how to do something it will increase your ENTHUSIASM.
The more “know-how” we have about whatever it is we do in life, the more it increases our ENTHUSIASM. It helps to remove frustration and disappointment.
Here are some suggestions on how to develop more “know-how”.
Read
Perhaps this should go without saying, but my experience is that it needs to be said. Read, Read, READ! Only readers are leaders. We may not all read the same thing, but read about whatever it is you do in life so you can become better. Become a lifelong learner.
- Attend Automobile University
Back in the 1980’s when the most popular device for playing recorded music in a car was a cassette deck, Zig Ziglar used to say, “If you do not have time to be a bookworm you at least have time to be a tapeworm.” I still listen to tapes in my car. I also listen to CD’s. Every now and then I may listen to the radio.
In other words, use your drive time to learn by listening to audio programs in your car. Whether it is digital downloads, CD’s, or maybe you are as much of a dinosaur as me and you still have a cassette deck in your car. Whatever the case, use that drive time to learn. It takes no time out of your day because you were already going to be in your car anyway.
- Attend Conferences and Seminars
Grow by going to conferences and seminars that will advance you in your area of work and life. Attend a seminar on soft-skills which will help you in every area of life. Whatever area of life you want to learn and grow in, there are conferences for that: spiritual growth, marriage, career growth, personal growth, parenting… Wherever you want to grow you can find a conference, seminar, or class for that. Besides the information you will receive from the presenters, you can learn a great deal just from the other participants.
ENTHUSIASM is more than just an emotional high. It is a God-inspired fire ignited deep within your soul that drives you to never settle, live with passion, and turn the world upside down! The better you understand that drive and what is God wants you to do the more you will ignite your ENTHUSIASM!
BONUS: Oh yes, you can also get some “know-how” from YouTube. It is there for you in a pinch. I have used it for several situations since that day I changed my battery in that PT Cruiser.
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I’m Tommy Lanham and I use speaking and coaching to bring the power of enthusiasm to those who are ready to inspire their fire!
I’m on a mission to break the monotony of the mundane and mediocre by bringing as much enthusiasm to as many businesses, ministries, marriages and individual lives as I possibly can.
From my home in Kentucky, I travel around the country to deliver my hilarious and passionate story of hope, overcoming failure and mindset transformation. My goal is to entertain and energize audiences to achieve extraordinary results and live a life of success beyond what they ever dreamed possible.
I’m dedicated to helping you make your next event the best you’ll ever experience. Visit My YouTube Channel for samples of my message.
