Genuine Enthusiasm Never Grows Old

I’ve been told that my feelings show plainly on my face. I don’t have a “poker face;” rather, you can glean my state of mind with a simple glance. While I have learned to keep this tendency in check, I’ll never fool people who know me well.

What I will never suppress—what I remain steadfast in expressing freely—is my enthusiasm. I gush. I get excited. I gesture emphatically. I speak more quickly. I cannot fake it. It’s not acting. It’s the way I am.

The thing is, I’m older than the age of a person you’d think would be most prone to such expressions of enthusiasm. How do I know? I look at people’s faces when I’m in the midst of one of my outbursts of enthusiasm. They often have smiles on their faces suggesting “he cannot be serious” or “he’s pretending to be enthusiastic.” It’s like once you reach a certain age a staid, stern demeanor should be what you present to the world. 

Our world is full of posturing, pretending, self-aggrandizing behavior and calculated “personal branding.” The last thing we need is more of the same. We need expressions of genuine excitement, the more spontaneous the better. 

Let us celebrate such enthusiastic expressions of appreciation, wonder, and joy, no matter our age. Because genuine enthusiasm never grows old. I am living proof of this point.