Enthusiastic Ideas

Gary Henry

5.0 (1)
CHRISTIANITY
UPDATED DAILY

Let’s make room for better thoughts. On Enthusiastic Ideas, Gary Henry shares a daily reflection focused on a single, positive word. It takes just three minutes to explore a concept that can benefit your character and enrich your life. Join us in finding ideas that deserve a home in your heart.

12H AGO

Discussion (March 15)

DISCUSSION (MARCH 15) View on Website -- https://wordpoints.com/discussion-march-15/ "No discussion between two persons can be of any use, until each knows clearly what it is that the other asserts" (Lewis Carroll). WHEN WE DISCUSS THINGS, WE OFTEN ERR BY TALKING WHEN WE SHOULD BE LISTENING. Taking it for granted that we understand what the other person is saying, we’re primarily concerned with whether they understand what we are saying to them. Understanding is not as important to us as being understood, and so our discussions often fizzle out ineffectively. What could have been a dialogue between two inquirers, and therefore an exercise in understanding, becomes a pair of monologues between two talkers, both of whom are in a defensive crouch rather than a learning posture. Our English word “discuss” comes from a compound Latin verb: dis- (“apart”) + quatere (“to shake”). So, the literal meaning to “shake apart.” But the thing “shaken apart” is not one’s counterpart in the discussion — it’s the subject being discussed. To discuss something means to inspect it closely by exchanging ideas and viewpoints. When two people discuss a matter, they speak to one another about it in an effort to ascertain truth or reach agreement. To discuss is to “talk over” something — in other words, to consider a topic by means of conversation. The colloquial expression “put our heads together” is a colorful way of describing the cooperation that occurs in a discussion. Discussion helps to clarify our thinking. “Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man” (Benjamin Franklin). We learn not just by thinking but by conversing, and most of us need to go through the give-and-take of a few discussions before we can see a subject clearly. “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Book of Proverbs). But there is another, more important, reason discussions are valuable: they help us along the path to common understanding. It is through discussion that groups of people meld their visions into a shared vision and their commitments into mutual commitments. Discussions can sometimes turn contentious, as we all know, but they don’t have to. And when they’re conducted respectfully, as among friends, they are one of life’s biggest joys. Debates and defenses have their place occasionally, but discussions have theirs too. "The more the pleasures of the body fade away, the greater to me is the pleasure and charm of conversation" (Plato). Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

3 min
1D AGO

Life (March 14)

LIFE (MARCH 14) View on Website -- https://wordpoints.com/life-march-14/ "Life is a hard fight, a struggle, a wrestling with the principle of evil, hand to hand, foot to foot. Every inch of the way is disputed. The night is given us to take breath and to pray, to drink deep at the fountain of power. The day, to use the strength that has been given us, to go forth to work with it till the evening" (Florence Nightingale). TO LIVE — THAT IS, TO BE FULLY ALIVE — IS A TEST OF THE HIGHEST POWERS WITHIN US. The thing that can truly be called “life” can’t be reached by taking the course of least resistance. It can only be enjoyed by those prepared to grasp it decisively and with determination. With anything less than that, we find that we’re not really living; we’re just passive puppets who are “being lived.” Most of us can probably sympathize with Jules Laforgue’s sentiment: “Oh, how daily life is!” It keeps coming at us quickly, one day after another, one moment after another. Continually, continually, continually these appear, as if marching to an inexorable drumbeat. One is no sooner done with a day than another presents itself to be dealt with. Each of these days and moments challenges our sense of stewardship: will we use the time to a good end or let it go by unimproved? If we default and do nothing (at least nothing worth doing), the unused increments of our lives eventually pile up behind us, creating a sad monument to negligence and lost opportunity. So the gift of life — and it truly is a gift — must be received properly. We must appreciate it, certainly, but beyond that, we must use it. It is to be employed as well as enjoyed. And the best employment is to use it defending and enhancing the lives of those around us, helping them have a greater measure of life in all its dimensions. When we live responsibly, we recognize our connection to other people (and even to the plants and animals that share our habitat). Except in rare circumstances, human life is a communal experience rather than a solo affair. We’re living at our best when we relate ourselves rightly to the “unimaginable whole” of which we are each a part. And what a delightful “whole” it happens to be! "Life is a roar of bargain and battle, but in the very heart of it there rises a mystic spiritual tone that gives meaning to the whole. It transmutes the dull details into romance. It reminds us that our only but wholly adequate significance is as parts of the unimaginable whole. It suggests that even while we think we are egotists we are living to ends outside ourselves" (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.). Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

3 min
2D AGO

Truth (March 13)

TRUTH (MARCH 13) View on Website -- https://wordpoints.com/truth-march-13/ "The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been kindness, beauty, and truth" (Albert Einstein). TRUTH IS NOT THE CREATION OF WEAK PEOPLE’S IMAGINATIONS; IT’S A STRONG AND NOBLE REALITY. Many of those who think it’s intellectually unsophisticated to talk about truth wouldn’t be qualified to carry the briefcase of a man like Einstein, who not only talked about it but also honored it, sought it, and used it to noble ends. We may as well admit it: we fight hopelessly anytime we fight against something as robust as truth. Reality is sturdy; ultimately, it is unassailable. In the short term, we might get away with conduct that’s based on falsehood, but eventually the truth will assert itself. As Edgar J. Mohn colorfully said, “A lie has speed, but truth has endurance.” So philosophically, we ought to stay away from untruth. But not only philosophically, we ought to avoid it personally. It simply does no good to deal in deceit. “Every time you try to smother a truth, two others get their breath” (Bill Copeland). So wouldn’t it be smart just to go ahead and commit ourselves to the truth? Doing that, however, requires more strength and diligence than we might suppose. Truth is not always easy to find, and the reason is one we may not like to confront. “We do not err because truth is difficult to see. It is visible at a glance. We err because this is more comfortable” (Alexander Solzhenitsyn). For every instance when we haven’t looked hard enough for the truth, there are hundreds of other times when we’ve run away from truth that was in plain view. Our difficulty is not so much ignorance as it is cowardice. To put it bluntly, a commitment to truth is a severe test of our bravery. A fearless commitment to truth is one of the major components of moral human character. As far as I can see, it might even be the greatest of all. No matter what other virtues we may possess, without a commitment to truth, everything else fades away. But we don’t honor truth by paying lip service to it; we do it by submitting to it. That means we must follow it rather than try to lead it. There’s just no calculating the good that can happen when we expend our energies in the service of truth — or the damage that’s done when we use our powers to subvert it. "I have one request: may I never use my reason against truth" (Elie Wiesel). Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

3 min
3D AGO

Satisfaction (March 12)

SATISFACTION (MARCH 12) View on Website -- https://wordpoints.com/satisfaction-march-12/ "He is well paid that is well satisfied" (William Shakespeare). MANY THINGS WE MAY NOT HAVE, BUT IF WE HAVE WHAT GIVES US SATISFACTION, WE CAN GIVE THANKS. No two of us are exactly the same, so we’re not going to be satisfied by the same things. Yet the world we live in is so wonderfully varied that there is something to satisfy everybody. What we must do is decide to find satisfaction in our own pursuits. Rather than being seduced by the advertisers and entertainers to want things that wouldn’t be satisfying even if we had them, we’d do better to bow our heads and give humble thanks for our own real satisfactions. It’s a common misconception that satisfaction is the same thing as apathy or indifference, but it’s not. Genuine satisfaction doesn’t mean complacency; it means contentment. Satisfaction still leaves room for growth, and it knows how to aspire to greater things. But it also knows how to enjoy and be honestly grateful for present benefits. What it comes down to is this: things don’t have to be perfectly satisfying for them to be pleasantly satisfying. It’s an old suggestion, but it still contains a lot of good sense: simple things are often the most satisfying, although they don’t make the news headlines. As I am writing this, for example, the morning sun has just climbed above the horizon and warmed the waiting world with a golden glow. As I look up from my writing desk and take in the view outside my window, I see something that is satisfying in a simple way. Whatever else I may not have on this day in my life, I’ve enjoyed something that should content my soul. But life isn’t just about being satisfied; it’s about giving satisfaction to others. It’s not always possible to do that, of course, but when it is, we should be eager to do it, even if it means going the extra mile. Sacrificing to see that others are satisfied is one of life’s privileges. You may never have thought about it, but your satisfaction is a contributor to the satisfaction of those around you. Knowing and working with people who are at peace within themselves is one of life’s most refreshing joys, and we do our friends a favor when we choose to be satisfied. Not apathetic, mind you. But satisfied. "Let a man’s talents or virtues be what they may, we only feel satisfaction in his society as he is satisfied in himself" (William Hazlitt). Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

3 min
4D AGO

Development (March 11)

DEVELOPMENT (MARCH 11) View on Website -- https://wordpoints.com/development-march-11/ "Those who won our independence believed that the final end of the State was to make men free to develop their faculties" (Justice Louis Brandeis). FREEDOM IS NOT GIVEN TO US FOR SELFISH INDULGENCE; IT’S MEANT TO BE USED IN REACHING OUR POTENTIAL. This is as true of our civil liberties as it is of those that are more personal in nature. Even the laws and regulations under which we live are for the purpose of creating conditions in which we can flourish and “develop [our] faculties,” as Brandeis put it. Not many people realize that’s what freedom is for, and many who know it don’t take full advantage of it, but freedom is meant to help us grow. It’s not about doing whatever we want; it’s about becoming all we’re capable of. There is a sense in which human lives have to be “unfolded” or “unpacked.” They don’t come already put together, and to say (as the label always tells you when you’re in a hurry) that “some assembly is required” is a considerable understatement. So “development” is the word we often use to describe what has to happen if a person’s character is going to become all it’s capable of being. It’s as if many things are wrapped up in us that have to be unpacked. Like many worthwhile things, the development of character takes time. It’s not work that can be done in a day. In fact, when we look at it properly, we recognize that it’s a lifelong process. No matter how long we live, our character still needs some development. But haven’t we all seen a tendency in our lives to stop developing? Indeed, avoiding stagnation is one of the primary challenges we face as we grow older. It takes extraordinary commitment and discipline to keep on developing as long as we’re in this world. Serious issues are at stake, however. The choice that confronts us is, as someone has said, “Develop or die.” Our endowments are wonderful. Our resources are abundant. Our potential is so vast that it seems unlimited. But none of these things can be neglected without frightful consequences later on. If there’s a law that’s clearly written on every page of nature’s book, it is this: use it or lose it. "In every animal . . . a more frequent and continuous use of any organ gradually strengthens, develops, and enlarges that organ . . . while the permanent disuse of any organ imperceptibly weakens and deteriorates it, and progressively diminishes its functional capacity, until it finally disappears" (Jean-Baptiste Lamarck). Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

3 min
5D AGO

Restraint (March 10)

RESTRAINT (MARCH 10) View on Website -- https://wordpoints.com/restraint-march-10/ "Liberty exists in proportion to wholesome restraint" (Daniel Webster). IF WE THINK FREEDOM WOULD MEAN THE ABSENCE OF ANY RESTRAINTS ON OUR BEHAVIOR, WE’RE HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARD ONE OF LIFE’S GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENTS. It’s nothing but naive to think we can indulge every whim and desire in any way we please, express ourselves with reckless abandon, disregard the rules of every game we play in, and still be remembered for having made a worthy contribution to the world. Listen to me: life doesn’t work that way, and if we think it does, we are bound to have our hearts broken sooner or later — and in the process, break the hearts of many others. It doesn’t matter what kind of power is under consideration, whether in nature or in human relationships, power has to be restrained. Out-of-control power is never anything but destructive, and the greater the power, the more damage it will do if it’s not regulated, balanced by other forces, and made to stay in bounds. If raw, unrestrained power did as much good as any other kind, a strong boxer could win every bout by rushing into the ring and throwing as many wild punches as possible. But as anybody knows who’s ever been in a boxing match (or any difficult human situation), merely flailing away doesn’t get the job done. To keep from getting your head knocked off, you’ve got to husband your strength, restrain your impulses, and keep your punches under control. In the living of a human life, there is no way around our need for helpful restraints. We need both kinds: external restraints (laws, rules, requirements) and internal restraints (training, discipline, self-control). We even need to have some friends who’ll restrain us. We need these things because without them, we’d often go too far. Rarely is it wise or beneficial to do, say, or think all that might be done, said, or thought. More is not always better, and there’s an undeniable beauty in things like reserve and understatement. So we need not only strength but also wisdom. We need not only freedom but also government. For those times when we can’t see for ourselves that “enough is enough,” we need the help of limits, those signposts of various kinds that simply say, “Here, but no further.” Ah, men do not know how much strength is in poise,That he goes the farthest who goes far enough.(James Russell Lowell) Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

3 min
6D AGO

Work (March 9)

WORK (MARCH 9) View on Website -- https://wordpoints.com/work-march-9/ "Every man is a consumer, and ought to be a producer. He fails to make his place good in the world unless he not only pays his debt but also adds something to the common wealth" (Ralph Waldo Emerson). TECHNICALLY, “WORK” IS SIMPLY TOIL OR LABOR — IT’S PHYSICAL OR MENTAL EFFORT OR ACTIVITY. But I’d like to suggest that we’d profit from thinking of work in a higher sense. The best concept of work is that which sees it as more than mere labor — it is labor that adds value to the world. When we’re working, we’re adding “something to the common wealth,” as Emerson put it. We’re repaying our debt to the world, first, by replenishing the resources that we’ve taken out of it and, second, by adding some value that wasn’t there before. The result of our work is that something in the world has been improved in some way. Some worth has been created. It’s unfortunate that we so often limit the word “work” to labor we’re paid to perform for an employer. When we speak of the “workplace,” we usually mean the realm of money-paying jobs and careers. But the work that a human being does over the course of his or her lifetime involves a great deal more than that person’s paid occupation. In fact, much, if not most, of the value that gets added to the world is added by the things people do when they’re not “at work,” and we need to quit thinking that the only folks who are working are those who have salaried jobs. (And we certainly need to stop asking stay-at-home mothers why they don’t “work.”) Regarding our work, one of the best things we can do is dedicate it to one or more persons whom we love. It’s no coincidence that writers usually dedicate their work to someone; great power comes from having a special someone “for” whom we’re doing our work. But we don’t have to be a writer to benefit from this power. Whatever work we’re doing, we can see ourselves as “dedicating” it to someone else. Good work is a blessing to be appreciated, not a burden to be resented. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to add value back to a world that has given us so much. And if we think of our work rightly, there’s a good chance we’ll want to enter into it appreciatively, enthusiastically, and energetically. Adding value by giving honest effort is a thing we’ll find satisfying and, yes, even enjoyable. Work! Thank God for the swing of it,for the clamoring, hammering ring of it.(Edwin Markham) Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

3 min
MAR 8

Creativity (March 8)

CREATIVITY (MARCH 8) View on Website -- https://wordpoints.com/creativity-march-8/ "Man unites himself with the world in the process of creation" (Erich Fromm). WE’RE BORN INTO A PRE-MADE WORLD, BUT WITHIN THE WORLD AS IT WAS WHEN WE GOT HERE, WE’VE GOT THE ABILITY TO MAKE MANY NEW THINGS. Some might say we can’t make anything truly new; we can only do new things with the raw materials already here. But what wonderful reorderings of the raw materials we’re capable of! Our human creativity is a fascinating force. Because it’s so powerful, our creative urge needs to be carefully managed. Among people seriously involved in creative work, we often hear it said (by artists, musicians, writers, etc.) that the only reason for their work is to allow the creators to “express themselves.” But in a world where we’re all connected, that should never be the case. Not everything a person might “express” needs to see the light of day. Before I create anything, I need to ask myself honestly: will this expression of myself make a positive contribution to those around me, or will it pollute them? Will it help or will it hurt? Our ability to create carries a serious stewardship, and in our present culture there may be some doubt whether we’re handling that stewardship responsibly. “We live at a time when man believes himself fabulously capable of creation, but he does not know what to create” (José Ortega y Gasset). As with all of God’s gifts, creativity is meant to be used beneficially. We have it within us to give others hope, to bring refreshment, and to strengthen. When we take a wise approach to the creative act, however, magnificent things can be accomplished. Our creativity can bring much-needed freshness to our own lives and those of others. Not only that, but we have it within our power to create things that will do good long after we’re gone from this world. Few of us are going to be remembered by succeeding generations, but the question of what we’re going to leave behind is still significant. We’re at our best when we’re using our creative powers to do lasting good. It doesn’t matter whether any historian gives us credit; it only matters that we’ve created something that will help others — now and perhaps even later! "Creativity is not merely the innocent spontaneity of our youth and childhood; it must also be married to the passion of the adult human being, which is a passion to live beyond one’s death" (Rollo May). Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

3 min

Let’s make room for better thoughts. On Enthusiastic Ideas, Gary Henry shares a daily reflection focused on a single, positive word. It takes just three minutes to explore a concept that can benefit your character and enrich your life. Join us in finding ideas that deserve a home in your heart.

Creator

Gary Henry
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

75
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Copyright 2026 Gary Henry & WordPoints
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Enthusiastic Ideas