Introduction

I have noticed a distinct characteristic about myself: I approach everything I do with enthusiasm. For instance, cleaning and scrubbing toilets. You might ask, Does scrubbing toilets require enthusiasm? Well, if you don't scrub toilets with enthusiasm, the result is unpleasant. It's not a glamorous task, but doing things with enthusiasm yields high returns. Everything requires enthusiasm. Recently, I've been working on spatial utilization, and it's a vast subject. I've spent the past two years studying it, drawing diagrams incessantly, to the point where it became tedious. Without enthusiasm, it would have been unbearable, resulting in version after version.

A brother in our congregation was renovating his home and consulted with me on spatial utilization. I eagerly embraced the project, designing version after version of his room. This brother also approaches things with enthusiasm, and together we found a truly remarkable solution that significantly improved the space's utilization. If you were to look at the houses I’ve renovated, you would notice a particular trait: the space isn't large, but it’s highly functional, comprehensive, and not wasteful at all. It greatly enhances utilization, also improving comfort in life.

Comfort is related to how well something is designed for its use. Some people lack enthusiasm when they work, and it vexes me. Some people mop the floor, and watching them vexes me as they dawdle and go about half-heartedly. A person's happiness index is directly proportional to their enthusiasm for what they do. The more enthusiastic you are, the happier you will be. If you do something with enthusiasm, you will enjoy doing it.

Solving Problems with Enthusiasm

Today, I want to talk to you all about doing everything with enthusiasm. I have observed that some people lack enthusiasm when they work. It's not that they aren't doing anything, but the work they produce lacks fire. How can one enjoy that? The most crucial principle in life is found in the Book of Ecclesiastes: Enjoy your labor and the fruits of your labor. If you don't add enthusiasm to these two things, work becomes arduous.

Take students learning, for example. Some people say, Look at that student. They are in pain all over, just not their hair. Because they lack enthusiasm for learning, everything hurts. They suffer from the first grade to the second, then from the second to the third, enduring all the way through elementary and into university. After that, they suffer for many more years since one never stops learning!

I must tell you something: approaching tasks with enthusiasm brings two benefits. First, it alleviates the difficulty of doing things. I encourage you, brothers and sisters, to give it a try. When you do something with enthusiasm, all of your mental energy is focused on solving the problem. When you focus on solving the problem, you will find the answer.

God created humans with a keen sense of right and wrong, proper and improper. When you do something that feels right, something that looks pleasant, you are at ease. If something feels off, it causes discomfort. When you do things with enthusiasm, you continuously refine them until you achieve an agreeable outcome. I always aim to work until I enjoy it. If I feel uncomfortable, my inner voice tells me something is wrong, and that discomfort remains.

I would welcome the chance for you to see my house designs, its spatial layout, and comfort level some time. For example, if a room is only 5 square meters, can it be made efficient, and be a comfortable space? You might think, isn't 5 square meters just a pigeon-sized cage? The contractor who did the renovation for me, living in the space I designed, said, I'm going to build one for my son too, just like this. The contractor approved of it, saying it was truly great. Because I have gradually understood the importance of individual preference, what a person needs. Only with enthusiasm can one thoroughly consider these things. Without enthusiasm, you simply do it as is, you become a that's good enough kind of person. If you don't pursue enjoyment in what you do, you will feel uncomfortable doing it.

When you work, you must align with God's principle: Enjoy your labor and the fruits of your labor. Some people are profit driven, trying to cut corners at every turn. Some time ago, I met an enterprise owner, and I said, If the rice cooked in your stores is unappetizing, and customers complain after eating, then your business model is useless. If you can't create something enjoyable, everything else is pointless; it's simply a matter of attitude. I indirectly solved their enterprise's human resource management issues. Human resources is about changing people's mindsets so that they can create more value or output in the same amount of time. Their work must be effective.

When we do renovations, if my design is flawed, it shows a lack of effort. After completion, it's unpleasant, and it affects your feelings when you enter. Eventually, it has to be torn down and redone, which is a waste of resources. Why not do it right from the beginning? Designing requires enthusiasm. Without it, you just let things slide. You know, people from Northeast China like a sense of casualness. They prefer open, airy spaces with a large sofa and TV in the living room, which is fine, but it lacks refinement. The house just looks ordinary.

If you visit Dream Town in Zhejiang Province, you will experience something different. Every time I go to Dream Town, I carefully observe the design styles. They are truly exquisite. Does it cost a lot of money? No. The white walls aren't particularly impressive, but they reflect careful thought and make things look beautiful. I think people in the South and North have different characteristics. Southerners pursue refinement, while Northerners prefer a rough yet elegant style. Each has its merits. Personally, I prefer the Southern style of decoration.

Achieving Excellence through Enthusiasm

To create something that looks pleasing and is done right the first time, one must incorporate enthusiasm. Work and management filled with enthusiasm result in very agreeable outcomes. Why are you poor? Because you lack enthusiasm for your work. You don't enjoy the work itself. You only enjoy the money it may get you. You still have to use all your enthusiasm to achieve fulfillment. Otherwise, your own suffering begets more suffering for others.

There is a sister who owns a shop in Shanghai, and after many years, she is still living from paycheck to paycheck. She lives a hard life. She loves the Lord and gives offerings, but she is poor. I wondered how I could help her? The answer: solve her lack of enthusiasm for work. Another sister is a lawyer who has been working hard for many years. I wondered, what could be done? I realized that she lacked enthusiasm for her work. She hadn't achieved excellence, and without excellence, the market cannot generate profit. Market cannot make profits when people mimic each other without enthusiasm for creation. Service providers often give something not desirable, and its for lack of a crucial element: enthusiasm. When you do everything with enthusiasm, nothing fails to be extraordinary. Lacking enthusiasm for one's work is a major shortcoming.

There are many like this among us. I am looking for the root cause of the problem, and there may be others. But this world is very fair. If you have a 'Victim Mentality,' you will live like the victim. If you approach life with a 'Tough Guy Attitude,' you'll live like a tough guy. I hope that through what I share today, we can all approach studying, school, and work with enthusiasm, striving to enjoy the process and create something enjoyable. This is a highly valuable quality, and I can confidently say that I enjoy everything I do.

When I work, the computer room has the most wires, including network cables, power cords, and fiber optic cables. It's a dense mess that looks unpleasant. It's like seeing someone on the street with messy hair, as if they just crawled out of a chicken coop. It's unpleasant. Therefore, whenever I have time, I go to the computer room to observe and understand, drawing diagrams. I spend time thinking about it. After about six months, I finally figured out how to clean up the wires. The most important thing in wire management is handling the extra length. If the length of the wire connecting one thing to another is just right, it's very neat. But the length of the wire is not up to me and its excess can add unwanted length.

Have you ever noticed this situation with the monitor in your home. It is extremely unpleasant. It seems like I have an obsessive-compulsive disorder when it comes to wire binding. Wherever I am, that place changes little by little because of me until it becomes clean and tidy. It was eventually solved by me. I organized the extra wires, and in the end, the wires in the computer room looked like the hair of a gentleman from the 1980s—very refined and pleasing to the eye. I also enjoy the outcome. I finally found the essence of cable management. If you lack enthusiasm, can you achieve that? You might think, It's good enough as it is. You will take a lackadaisical attitude towards life. Today, you put a pile here, tomorrow another pile there, and ultimately, your life becomes a mess.

Cultivating a Habit of Orderliness from a Young Age

Brothers and sisters, our habits in life, the effects of a lifetime, originate from the heart; as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. In Genesis, the most frequently mentioned phrase is each according to its kind. If your children are young, you must cultivate a habit of orderliness. When children play with toys, they often leave them scattered all over the floor. If it were up to me, they would have to put them away themselves. A Parent who lets their kid continue that habit will only create more headaches. As a result, the child grows up to be someone who creates messes, someone who is disorganized.

From a young age, we must train our children to be orderly, to make things enjoyable after they are finished. The process of enjoyment comes from the act of creation, transforming emptiness and chaos into order. If you lack enthusiasm, you cannot achieve this. You frown at the mere thought of it. But if you are filled with enthusiasm, what you do will not only be well-organized but also bring rich returns. You will enjoy the work of your hands.

Humans possess God's image, and from birth, God places the attribute of orderliness within you. If I do something well, it might look great, but it has little to do with you. You may do well in your exams, but how do you relish it? If you haven't learned with enthusiasm, you will not succeed. When you encounter difficulties, you immediately shy away, but where can you hide? When you are in the examination room, the exam paper will not let you hide.

Conclusion

Do you want to enjoy what you do? If you do everything with enthusiasm, you will enjoy everything. If you enthusiastically explore the essence of everything, the rewards will be immense. When I was working at an enterprise, I did everything with enthusiasm. I eagerly sought to solve any problem, and as a result, my salary increased rapidly. In the same year, I earned twice as much as you.

Brothers and sisters, no matter what you do, cultivate the habit of doing everything with enthusiasm. If you are a beautician, strive to do your work impeccably. But don't let your enthusiasm lead you to neglect fellowship and Bible study. Your enthusiasm won't last long if you do that. Our God is a God who works with enthusiasm, and He restores our glorious image. Today, let us confront our lack of enthusiasm. When speaking and doing things, if you lack enthusiasm, demand enthusiasm from yourself. Be filled with enthusiasm, enjoy what you do, and may God bless you all!