Enthusiastic Ideas
A Good Word for Each Day of the YearReadings That Will Revitalize Your Thinking
Devotion (June 5)
Giving oneself to a particular end, not just in affection but in dedication, is one of the most intensely joyful experiences open to us. But when was the last time you pledged yourself to pay close and loyal attention to some honorable “devotion”?
Planting (June 4)
By far the best planting we ever do is not agricultural but personal. When we make new beginnings with other people, either by entering into new relationships or doing things that reinvigorate old ones, we are planting in the very highest sense.
Training (June 3)
Much more important than any physical or artistic training is the training of our minds and spirits. To be constructively useful, these helpers have to be trained. They have to be trained to serve the interests of our principles and our conscience.
Tests (June 2)
We all face tests. Once in a while, the tests are quite large. And then, perhaps two or three times in our lives, we meet the biggest tests of all, the ones where our characters are assayed in the hottest fires theyll ever experience.
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WORDS ARE VERY special things. I love them, I respect them, and I believe that getting “thinky” about the words we use is a very healthy exercise. So I’ve written a book that gives you a single positive word to think about every twenty-four hours: a good word every day. Like my other books, this one is a daybook. There is a short, one-page reading for each day of the year, and what I’d like you to do is read the book at the rate of one page per day. Sure, you can browse ahead or go back and review. That’s fine. Just promise me you’ll really meditate on no more than one page each day. If you’ll try this habit, you might like it. — GPH
THESE TWO BOOKS — Enthusiastic Ideas and More Enthusiastic Ideas — would be placed in the “positive thinking” section of the library, I suppose. I don’t mind that, although I fear that being put in that category means the books will not be taken seriously by some people. Unfortunately, books about “positive mental attitude” have a reputation for being fluffy: nothing more than cotton candy for the mind. Whatever the reasons for that reputation might be, I don’t believe the situation has to be the way it is. A writer should be allowed to address the issue of positive thinking at a deeper level.
If we happen to be living in a less than wonderful way, the last thing we need is for someone to try to help us by pouring “positive mental attitude” syrup over the facts. The positive thinking we need won’t come from dreaming or ignoring reality; it will come from the (sometimes painful) alignment of ourselves with principles of proven validity in human character and conduct. So as a speaker and writer, I get in people’s faces and challenge them to change in significant ways. There’s nothing fluffy about it, believe me. — GPH
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Never use the expression “mere words.” Words are never “mere.” They are strong and beautiful. Use them carefully, for language is both a powerful gift and a serious stewardship.