Enthusiastic Ideas
A Good Word for Each Day of the YearReadings That Will Revitalize Your Thinking
Stature (February 2)
Aspiring to significant “stature” is more than a matter of wanting to be seven feet tall physically. It’s aspiring to a character that has some greatness to it, rather than one that is petty and small. Surely that is something we should all desire.
Conviction (February 1)
Having steadfast convictions requires certain character qualities, and one of them is trust. Two others are patience and longsuffering. Just because a principle seems to be headed for defeat right now, that doesnt mean its not worth standing up for.
Redemption (January 31)
Redemption involves the coupling of two basic ideas: deliverance and restoration. To have failed and then to experience redemption is to be given ones life back. It is to be bought back from the sentence of death by someone elses grace.
Steps (January 30)
Greatness of human character lies not so much in the skill to do hard things as in the discipline to do easy things at hard times. If we miss the good life, it wont be for lack of intelligence or ability, but for failure to take the steps we could have taken.
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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.