Share Some Enthusiasm in Honor of Fathers Day

In “Don't Seek Success – Be Happi” I define “Enthusiasm, the second core principle in the book, as “The cheerful giving of one’s time, attention and energy to particular activities, causes, goals, or persons.”

For Fathers Day yesterday, Marlo Thomas recalls a story about her legendary father, entertainer, Danny Thomas. In a touching video, she recounts how her dad was always on the road while she was growing up. At 12 years old in the 4^th grade, Marlo wrote an essay that basically said she wished her father was home more, not tomorrow, but today. She entitled it “Viva Today.” When her father called from the road, she read him the essay and it changed Danny Thomas and his families life forever. Thomas called his agent and told him to get him off the road. He returned to Beverly Hills and his family and became a television star with his long running comedy series, “Make Room for Daddy” which aired for more than a decade in the 1950s and 1960s. Watch MarloThomas tell the story on the video here. She recounts an interesting story of how the show got its name.

Marlo missed her father. She was wishing he would cheerfully give her his time, attention and energy on a regular basis and he simply could not do that on the road. Mr. Thomas got the message and found a way to share his enthusiasm with his family by returning home and staring in his own television series. Danny Thomas also found time to share his passion and enthusiasm for helping children with cancer by founding St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 1962, passing that passion and enthusiasm on to his daughter who has championed the cause since the death of Danny Thomas.

My Father, Charles “Chuck” Brooks is also an excellent example of sharing enthusiasm. Whether it was coaching my little league team, spearheading a community fund raising drive and ballot initiative to build a new community swimming pool in his home town, Chuck was always cheerfully giving of his time, attention and energy. He also had an incredible gift for making everybody he came in contact with feel special and worthwhile.

I tell the story in Don't Seek Success – Be Happi about how it did not matter whether it was a waitress at a restaurant or a blackjack dealer at a South Lake Tahoe casino; by the time his visit was over he had made a new friend out of a complete stranger and knew their entire life story. He would listen and learn about their aspirations, challenges, joys and sorrows.

Years ago, I accompanied my father to his favorite Tahoe casino. As we were walking through the casino floor on our way to have dinner, I was amazed at the warm greeting he received by what seemed like every blackjack dealer working that night. My father was not a high roller or an especially big tipper by any stretch of the imagination, yet the dealers who were not busy wanted him to stop and talk. They all had a story they wanted to share. He listened, asked questions and encouraged them.

You could see, from their expressions and demeanor that they enjoyed him and appreciated his interest. He was sharing his enthusiasm with them by cheer-fully giving them his time, attention and energy and they loved him for it. Over an hour later we finally arrived at the restaurant where he immediately struck up a conversation with the young hostess.

My Father passed away several years ago, but his enthusiasm did not go unnoticed. Today, Charles “Chuck” Brooks has a park and swimming pool named for him in our home town of Woodland, California.

Happy Fathers Day, Dad. I miss you.

In honor of Fathers Day, why not share your enthusiasm with family, friends, and total strangers. It will make their day and yours too.

For more on the principle of “Enthusiasm,” see Don't Seek Success – Be Happi.”

Be Great!

MB