Imagine being firmly committed to your deepest ambitions. Imagine feeling energetic and enthusiastic about your relationships, career, and all the things you want. Envision a future as bright and promising as any you have ever imagined.

Is this your typical day-to-day outlook? Do you adjust easily to unexpected obstacles and handle stressful situations resiliently? Do you thrive on challenges, or do you tend to withdraw from them?

Henry Ford said, "You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the spark in your eye, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of your will and your energy to execute your ideas."

Enthusiastic people are inspired by great ideas. However, they live and thrive on action.

Does that mean they are immune to fear and self-doubt? Are they spared from feelings of uneasiness that so often accompany moving into new territories? No, they are not.

They dissolve fear by doing what they fear. They meet and resolve conflicts. They see today's adversities as universities filled with valuable lessons. They create new maps that lead them forward.

Determined people are risk takers. However, they take sensible precautions and make informed decisions. Their invitation to wisdom and creativity becomes more compelling than self-limiting doubt.

Determined people are committed to the purpose for which they live. Commitment turns a promise into reality with words that speak boldly of your intentions and actions that speak louder than words.

Mario Andretti said it well: "Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal -- a commitment to excellence -- that will enable you to attain the success you seek."

Here are five questions to consider that will help to advance your enthusiasm and determination:

What dreams and aspirations are you committed to achieving during your lifetime?

In which areas of your life are you committed to becoming exceptional?

What are the biggest obstacles that are holding you back from what you want?