Enthusiastic Ideas
A Good Word for Each Day of the YearReadings That Will Revitalize Your Thinking
Destiny (August 5)
We can’t think one way and then somehow arrive at a completely different destination. So you need to be careful about your thinking, don’t you? If you keep on thinking as you have today, what kind of destiny is that going to lead you to?
Tastefulness (August 4)
We miss the best part of life when we fail to acquire a taste for that which is enduringly beautiful and everlastingly joyful. Learning to approve the things that are excellent, we find that life has a depth and a richness we never knew before.
Immediacy (August 3)
Immediacy means enjoying each moment, doing each moment’s duty as it confronts us, and gaining the influence that comes from living immediately. It’s worth the effort to deal promptly and thankfully with what is immediate, even when it’s difficult.
Nurturing (August 2)
“Nurture” comes from the same root as the words “nutrition” and “nourish.” None of us is so independent that we can do without nurturing and sustenance from anyone else. People need to be nurtured — and they need to nurture one another.
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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.