Thursday, January 26, 2006
Enthusiasm
I am working on a new website for a couple of breeders in West Virginia. It's a mixed relationship: she's Hollands and he's mini rex. But I think they will find a way to make their relationship work despite this huge difference. Just kidding. What I love about them is their enthusiasm and excitement over their bunnies and their new website.
Enthusiasm is like rocket fuel; it helps get you moving in the right direction before you hit outer space where it takes less fuel to keep the ship on course. It's a wonderful feeling - a high like being in love. And it's a good thing to have in the beginning when you have so much to figure out about your new hobby.
It looks like her enthusiasm has sustained her until she started seeing some success on the show table with her Hollands, too. It's a great thing that it has worked out so well for her. I fear it doesn't always, though.
Lots of people start out in rabbit breeding with enthusiasm. Some make it in the long run, but others run out of rocket fuel before they hit their orbit. Those people quit, vastly scale down their rabbitries, or change breeds (or even species).
There are different reasons why some people's enthusiasm will not sustain them until they begin to have success on the judging table (or whatever measure of success they value). I think one reason is that people spend their energies in a misguided direction. They spent a lot of time and energy, and covered a lot of ground, but they are only 15 feet in the air! Maybe they run into unethical breeders who took advantage of their lack of knowledge. Perhaps they had unrealistic expectations of the time and energy it takes to become a rabbit breeder. Maybe the "in" group had trouble finding room for one more. I couldn't possibly list all of the reasons.
Other people use their enthusiasm, hard work, and persistence to get their rockets into orbit. But for some reason, they lose their enthusiasm and allow their bunny rocket to fall to the ground. Perhaps they accomplished all they wanted to (spending time with their children who now have other interests, for example). Perhaps their circle of friends has moved on. Perhaps their life has called their energies elsewhere, or maybe they failed to set new goals to help keep their enthusiasm up.
It's not reasonable to expect to feel the same level of enthusiasm as you did when you first started in rabbits. That feeling will burn you out very quickly. But at the same time, you want to feel that enthusiasm bubbling up from time to time to keep you going. And, you want a more sustainable, lowered keyed enthusiasm to be there - under the surface perhaps - but always nearby to help you enjoy your hobby.
When I feel my enthusiasm lag, I re-evaluate my goals and think about where I'm putting my energies. Re-focusing almost always brings my enthusiasm back up to help sustain me for the long-term. And the long-term is where I will accomplish my most important goals.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 10:43 AM
Enthusiasm is like rocket fuel; it helps get you moving in the right direction before you hit outer space where it takes less fuel to keep the ship on course. It's a wonderful feeling - a high like being in love. And it's a good thing to have in the beginning when you have so much to figure out about your new hobby.
It looks like her enthusiasm has sustained her until she started seeing some success on the show table with her Hollands, too. It's a great thing that it has worked out so well for her. I fear it doesn't always, though.
Lots of people start out in rabbit breeding with enthusiasm. Some make it in the long run, but others run out of rocket fuel before they hit their orbit. Those people quit, vastly scale down their rabbitries, or change breeds (or even species).
There are different reasons why some people's enthusiasm will not sustain them until they begin to have success on the judging table (or whatever measure of success they value). I think one reason is that people spend their energies in a misguided direction. They spent a lot of time and energy, and covered a lot of ground, but they are only 15 feet in the air! Maybe they run into unethical breeders who took advantage of their lack of knowledge. Perhaps they had unrealistic expectations of the time and energy it takes to become a rabbit breeder. Maybe the "in" group had trouble finding room for one more. I couldn't possibly list all of the reasons.
Other people use their enthusiasm, hard work, and persistence to get their rockets into orbit. But for some reason, they lose their enthusiasm and allow their bunny rocket to fall to the ground. Perhaps they accomplished all they wanted to (spending time with their children who now have other interests, for example). Perhaps their circle of friends has moved on. Perhaps their life has called their energies elsewhere, or maybe they failed to set new goals to help keep their enthusiasm up.
It's not reasonable to expect to feel the same level of enthusiasm as you did when you first started in rabbits. That feeling will burn you out very quickly. But at the same time, you want to feel that enthusiasm bubbling up from time to time to keep you going. And, you want a more sustainable, lowered keyed enthusiasm to be there - under the surface perhaps - but always nearby to help you enjoy your hobby.
When I feel my enthusiasm lag, I re-evaluate my goals and think about where I'm putting my energies. Re-focusing almost always brings my enthusiasm back up to help sustain me for the long-term. And the long-term is where I will accomplish my most important goals.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 10:43 AM
