Enthusiastic Ideas
A Good Word for Each Day of the YearReadings That Will Revitalize Your Thinking
Economy (October 26)
As Charles Spurgeon pointed out, earning money is not as hard as learning to spend it well. Managing our resources (whether they be many or few) so that the maximum amount of good is done, is one of our principal challenges as mature human beings.
Wishes (October 25)
Our wishes need to be consistent with our principles. It’s a dangerous game we play when we wish (however privately) for the fulfillment of desires that are inconsistent with our deepest convictions. So we should keep a close watch on our wishes.
Longsuffering (October 24)
Without longsuffering, we won’t grow any stronger. Strength comes from dealing with difficulty, and if we don’t hold out while the difficulty is being dealt with, we won’t get the benefit of the hardship. It’s holding out that helps us.
Apologies (October 23)
If we’re fully engaged in the living of real life, we’re going to make mistakes on a fairly regular basis. When we make them, it will often be necessary for us to apologize for them. Doing so is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of true strength.
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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.