Often times when I am doing live events, I will ask the participants to give me some synonyms of the word “ENTHUISIASM”. I typically get words like: passion, energy, zeal, or even obsession. However, I almost always get the word “excitement”. To be fair, ENTHUSIASM and excitement are synonyms. So, in that regard, it is not a bad answer. However, there is a significant difference.

You can see in the spelling of the word “excitement” the word “exit” (just remove the ‘c’). Excitement comes from outside of you. Excitement is an emotional response we sometimes have when something outside of us happens that we really, really like. It could be a ball game, a person we are fond of, something we hear on the radio, a concert, or any kind of person, place, thing, or event that increases our adrenaline.

ENTHUSIASM, on the other hand, comes from within. Actually the “en” comes from a Greek word meaning “in”. Enthusiasm is not dependent upon what is going on outside of us. ENTHUSIASM is a “God-inspired fire ignited deep within us that drives us to never settle, live with passion, and turn the world upside down.”

Therefore, since excitement is about outside occurrences that stir up emotion, it is often short-lived. For instance, I was excited when the University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball team won the NCAA championship back in 2012. I was pumped! I did not sleep well that night, it was all I could talk about, and I had a smile on my face so big I could have eaten a banana sideways.

Years later, I do not have the same intense feelings about that win. I am still glad they won and I hope they win another championship soon, but the excitement has worn off. It was euphoric while it lasted, but excitement fades away with time.

Since ENTHUISASM dwells inside of us, it is more long-lasting. Excitement may influence how we celebrate, but ENTHUISAM drives how we live. Enthusiasm is that “God-inspired fire ignited deep within our soul that drives us to never settle, live with passion, and turn the world upside down.”

So yes, in a general sense ENTHUSIASM and excitement are synonyms, but when you get to the specifics they are very different words. When I write and speak of ENTHUSIASM I am not talking about excitement. One influences how you celebrate and the other drives the way you work, love, and live!