Pushing To Business Success

Bettger became so successful that he could have retired at age 40. What was it that vaulted him to the top rank of sales professionals? It may seem obvious, but if you don't have it you get nowhere: enthusiasm. Once dropped from a baseball team for being too laid-back, Bettger decided he would prove a point to his former coach by doubling his level of enthusiasm in his new team.

It worked so well that newspaper reporters nicknamed him "Pep" Bettger and he became the top player in the team, his income increasing by 700 percent. Later, when he wasn't doing well in insurance, he decided to apply the same level of enthusiasm to his work, again witnessing an astonishing difference in results. The conventional wisdom is that you get enthusiastic when you achieve success at something—the feeling comes after the act. But Bettger discovered the truth of Harvard philosopher William James's observation that the act can create the feeling; that is, you can become excited about something simply by acting excited about it. Later in his book, Bettger presages today's cognitive science by suggesting that the practice of regular smiling creates a feeling of happiness and goodwill.
Test this out for yourself, and remember that enthusiasm alone can transform your life and your earnings.