Walking across Central Park one morning, I noticed the sound of a dog bark that was oddly muffled.  It was an energetic and friendly bark, but it had a strange sound to it.  As I looked around, I discovered a fairly large dog with a bright, electric-green rubber ball in his mouth.  As he jumped around barking, the ball – which filled his mouth entirely – muffled the sound he made.  Seeing him this way brought a smile to my face to see his enthusiasm not in the least bit diminished by the fact that he had to bark with his teeth securely clamped around his ball.

If anyone told me that a dog could bark enthusiastically and audibly while having his mouth stuffed full of a brightly colored rubber ball, I would have doubted that it would be possible.  But, there he was, barking at what I’m sure was full volume on the inside of his mouth, without dislodging the ball.  His enthusiasm got me to thinking about the gift of feeling brought to life energetically by something we’re doing.

What are some of the things you’ve accomplished in your life simply because you couldn’t do otherwise – some of the things that energized you to the point that you just had to do them either for the pure pleasure of it or because you felt so moved by what you were doing?  Are there things you’re doing right now that you engage for the pure pleasure of it?  For example, each morning, I read a bit of Spanish, to increase my vocabulary, even though I can’t speak the language very well.  There’s no real goal in mind – just the pure pleasure of discovering words I haven’t encountered before.  I also write these experiments for the pure pleasure of it.  I find myself transported to a place of open curiosity and creative fun each time I sit down to write one.

And so, for this week’s experiment, I invite you to notice your relationship with enthusiasm.  Is it an energy that flows into your life and carries you along in its wake?  Or, is it a stranger that visits you only rarely?  When you encounter something that lights the spark of enthusiasm in you, take time to notice what happens in your body – the sensations you experience.  Also notice the quality of your thoughts and feelings and your general experience of the world.  Notice what it’s like to be enlivened by enthusiasm – how being willing to allow enthusiasm and pleasure to enter your experience affects the quality of your day-to-day life. 

Engaging enthusiasm doesn’t mean you have to commit a great deal of time to it.  I only have about 15 minutes in the morning to dive into my exploration of Spanish vocabulary, but that small amount of time is enough to ignite my enthusiasm and nourish my curiosity, and that experience tends to stay with me throughout the day.  Sometimes, I have the luxury of a lot of time to write experiments, and sometimes I only have a brief time.  Whichever is the case, I enjoy the process and allow the pleasure in it to fill me as the writing unfolds itself.

As with all the experiments, the primary invitation here to become more consciously aware of your experience, and of the moment-to-moment choices you make that have an impact on the quality of your daily experience.  Remember to bring along curiosity as your constant companion and to remember that there are no right or wrong answers related to any of these experiments.  There’s only the gift of enhanced awareness.