Few things are known to directly contribute to one’s happiness level, but a general spirit of enthusiasm is surely high on that shortlist. In 1755 Samuel Johnson defined enthusiasm as a “vain confidence of divine favour.” Excepting the fact that they had much more interesting dictionaries back then (written by enthusiastic men?), it’s convenient for everyone that the word has lost its religious roots and is now more plainly synonymized with words like “excitement” and “verve.” 

What am I enthusiastic about? Halloween, for one. But that’s a different post.