THE POWER OF ENCOURAGEMENT

A friend knew I was going through a hard time and gave me words of encouragement. As the words came out of their mouth something took place in my spirit. Literally a transformation, and then my motivation and inspiration soared. I was reminded in that moment of the power of encouragement. Why is it we so often neglect using this powerful tool?

Just prior to entering the Promise Land God told Moses, “But commission Joshua and ENCOURAGE and strengthen him for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land.” (Deuteronomy 3:28) In a very critical moment in this young leaders life God reminded Moses to encourage him. The Hebrew word for encourage is chazaq which means, “to make strong or firm”. Encouragement has power.

Here are 7 things encouragement will do for our friends, family and acquaintenances.

1. It helps them see the work God is doing in or through their life.
2. It motivates them to continual improvement.
3. It enhances their confidence and courage.
4. It expands their vision. When they know the progress they’ve made has been recognized and appreciated it causes them to dream bigger.
5. It validates their giftedness. Most people struggle with clarity in the area of their giftedness. A specific word of encouragement can help bring needed confirmation.
6. It creates relational bonds.
7. It teaches them to encourage others.

Mac Lake, edited by KG

ENCOURAGING YOURSELF FIRST OF ALL

Caterina S. Tudor, Ph.D.Professional Counselor in the State of Colorado, teaches the wellness of encouragement. She believes encouragement de-stresses and creates a positive atmosphere around the encourager. She says it is about “speaking life” to self and others. It starts with you and then cycles around to the next person and the next.

I submit that only when you know how to encourage yourself can you really encourage another.

To encourage yourself, act like a good parent or coach toward yourself. Identify your abilities and strong points. Acknowledge any progress you make. Remind yourself that mistakes are learning opportunities. Know how to nurture and rejuvenate yourself. It’s like a bank—the deposits and withdrawals have to balance each other.You can’t give away what’s not there.

It takes work, but it is worth it.

HOW DOES ENCOURAGEMENT WORK?

Life is messy. Life is tough. Each of us experiences disappointment, loss and severe life altering circumstances. I would love to have the time to listen to your individual stories, because it’s not if problems will come, it’s when. We get sick and injured, or our loved ones do; we suffer relational problems, depression, divorce, have financial disasters, and lose jobs. Pain and unfulfilled loneliness are costing us financially, physically and emotionally. We have never been emptier inside with so much stuff around us.. We feel the fear for our future and our children and grandchildren.

Many people don’t know where to turn when crisis happens.

WE LIVE BY ENCOURAGEMENT AND WE DIE WITHOUT IT, SLOWLY, SADLY AND ANGRILY.” CELESTE HOLM

I love encouragement. I believe in encouragement because it’s made a difference in my life. Encouragement has positive benefits for the encourager and the encouragee.

It might sound simple and in many ways it is, however, it can also be incredibly hard work. It is one of the most important thing we can do for others…and it’s alot more than just words. It’s walking across the room to meet that person, it's reaching out to someone who is struggling—with empathy, energy, courage, compassion, communication, awareness and insight—just for starters. It’s taking a risk, but it’s worth it because your workplace, your school, your team, your family--all of relationships in society can be improved by learning how to encourage.

WHAT DOGS KNOW ABOUT LIFE ENCOURAGES ME

I love my dog. Well really it’s my son’s dog, but when he left for the military, Jake and I bonded in a way that kept us both alive! One especially lonely evening as I sat sobbing on the floor, Jake lay down beside me and comforted me as if to say, ‘I miss him too.’ From that point on, we were and are inseparable.

Dogs may be smarter than we think. I know he knows what I say to him. Of course my husband points out that it’s my tone that he knows. I notice when Dale speaks to him, he does obey better.

I love to watch my dog and cat interact together. They have their own special language. In honor of Jake and Kobe here are some secrets of contented living that most dogs follow—and more humans need to:

Never pass up the chance to go for a ride.
Always greet your loved ones enthusiastically, even if they’ve been gone for only five minutes.
Sometimes obedience is the best strategy.
Carve out your niche—and let others know when they’ve invaded your space.
Find time to run, chase things, and play every day.
Eat with gusto!
Be dependably loyal no matter what.
Take frequent naps.
Take time to stretch before getting up from your naps.
Don’t bite when a growl will send the message.
When someone’s having a bad day, stay close, be quiet and nuzzle them now and then.
When it’s hot, drink a lot of water and sleep in the shade.
Enjoy long rambling walks.
Don’t take scolding personally—you’ll forget soon enough.
When you’re happy, show it.

My pets make me happy!

BE ENCOURAGED!

Whatever you are facing today, BE ENCOURAGED!

While I don't know what each of you are going through at this time, I am fully aware that every other person in life is dealing with something that is extremely important and urgent to them. It could be hurting family or friend relationships, job or financial worries, or even something that you cannot name. Maybe you see things going on in our country that depress and discourage you. There is just a nagging sense inside that all is not well.

I encourage you to not cave into those feelings. God has a bigger and much better plan than all our worries, and He asks us to keep our focus on Him. This is what I ask for and hope to receive on my journey. It does take intentional discipline; talking to your self, quoting scripture and not letting the negative pull you down. Renew and refocus your mind.

Because God knows every single detail about my life and your life He knows exactly what is going to happen to me and you. He knows what the future will bring and He promises to care for us just as much as He does the birds. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Seek first His kingdom and all these things will be given to you as well.” (KG paraphrase Matt 6:25-34)

I believe it. I hope you will too. Be encouraged and find peace in your life today.

ENTHUSIASTIC ENCOURAGEMENT

I read this incredible post yesterday and it validates my thoughts and writings on my encouragement blog and website howtoencourage.com exactly.

EVERYONE NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT!

Here are some thoughts from Barry Buzza's article in the Tri City News on January 21, 2010.

"Because everybody needs to give and receive encouragement. It takes courage to live in our world and life has a way of sapping that courage from us. The stress of work, bills, sickness, traffic, relationships, grief over loss, failure, accidents and family — even good stresses such as moving to a new home or neighbourhood, starting a new job, getting married or having a baby — tend to sap our daily intake of courage. Then we add a negative comment from a spouse, a child who disappoints, a pointed quip from a fellow worker, a pushy driver behind us, a negative news report or an assignment bigger than we can handle, and the discouragement side of the scale outweighs the encouragement side.

We all need to be encouraged regularly, to be around others who are encouragers and to give back our own words of encouragement. Someone once said, and I’ve found it to be true, that it takes seven words of encouragement to balance out one word of discouragement."

I love the ministry of encouragement. I think that is the single most important thing we can do for others…and it’s alot more than just words. It involves awareness, insight, communication, understanding, risk, courage, I could go on and on. Who knows what tragedy could next be avoided if we take the time to encourage our fellow sojourners on oftentimes tough path of life.

For more info see How to encourage

Encouragement for a Generous Kid Holiday Season

Holidays can be intense as you are trying to train your kids to go from greedy to grateful and generous. Moms, you know there is so much more competition for the hearts and minds of your kids. You have to be intentional in teaching and modeling attitudes you want your kids to grow up with. Do you know any spoiled bratty kids? I mean seriously, who likes to be around them?

You know, it starts early, moms. Even before Thanksgiving and really before that. It’s about the whole culture in your home.

Holidays can bring about intense feelings that sometimes surprise us—we might have to face our insecurities. There is pleasure and pain involved--whether it be an overload of family relationships or expectations you put on yourself-about buying presents when you can’t make ends meet already. What will my kids say and think about me if they don’t get their wishes?

Instead of focusing on the gimme’s, which I did not realize I was doing, like when they were bored or fighting, I would tell them to make lists of what they wanted, I tried to read some stories of people less fortunate than us or stories that had heart. We did angel tree and took our kids with when we delivered the presents. One year was especially precious as the mom called the dad from prison and the kids told him what they got from him--in front of us. We just did the Operation Christmas child-maybe you included some of your older kids in choosing and buying.

If you ask and are aware when you receive those special moments, the atmosphere in your home will be all about Christmas magic and you can really live the real reason for holiday season.

Gratitude Encouragement

The TV news anchor Deborah Norville researched this topic for her book, Thank You Power, Making the Science of Gratitude work for you. Isn’t that interesting, they are now calling it a science.

She found a study by Robert Emmons from the U of Ca Davis that said, “gratitude works by giving off other positive emotions--such as joy, contentment—through the immune system or endocrine system. Gratitude for and contentment with what we have is the antidote to greed and envy."

You might want to repeat that statement out loud to help it sink in. To get a perspective on your relative wealth compared to the rest of the world, go to www.globalrichlist.com and type in your annual household income. You will be surprised!

Encouragement

When I woke up to the dark and saw the dreary rain, I struggled with some depression. I wondered what I could do to encourage myself today.

I'm reading through the New Testament with my church family this fall and as I read the assignment for today the words that Paul wrote to the Romans jumped out at me. I realized this was my answer for a day like this one.

Paul longed to see his brothers, the Romans, so that they could be "mutually encouraged by each other's faith." That's it, nothing more, nothing less.

Whose life will touch mine today that I can be encouraged by their faith? Likewise, who will I meet that I can encourage with my faith?

It's not about my circumstances, my relationships, my job, my finances, the weather...In fact it's not about me or my feelings at all! How freeing to realize that I don't have to be in charge of that department of life.

The focus is about my faith in God and how I can encourage that one person whose path will cross mine today.

I'm excited to see what God has in store for me. It is starting to look a lot brighter already!

Importance of Encouragement

There are high spots in all of our lives, and most of them have come about through encouragement from someone else. I don't care how great, how famous or successful a man or woman may be, each hungers for applause. Encouragement is the oxygen of the soul. Good work can never be expected from a worker without encouragement. No one can ever have lived without it."
George Matthew Adams

Why Encouragement?

Our world needs encouragement…a world ravaged by depression and death, fear and frenetic activity, sorrow and strife, a world that saps life from our souls. At times the darkness threatens to overwhelm us.

How do we learn to live with encouraged hearts, with energy and purpose instead of listlessness, boredom and discouragement? How do we combat the negative messages this out of control culture gives us every day?

I believe the answer lies in the attitude of encouragement. In fact, I am passionate about encouragement because it has worked for me and I have witnessed its power in countless others in my realm of relationships.

Just the other evening, I saw a friend lift up her head, in spite of difficult circumstances because someone said simple words ‘you have shown amazing courage in the midst of your pain.’ They noticed her, spoke significant words that understood what she was going through and gave support by their presence.

Encouragement Works!

The Value of Encouragement

I like this definition of encouragement that Caterina Spinaris Tudor, Ph.D., Director of Desert Waters Correctional Outreach (DWCO) and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Colorado, implements in her wellness vision statement. The mission of DWCO (www.desertwaters.com) is to increase the occupational, personal and family well-being of staff of all disciplines within the corrections profession.

There are four areas that are pillars for corrections staff’s wellness. These involve Processing the emotional impact of the job, finding Antidotes to workrelated stressors, having a Vision for their life, and giving Encouragement to themselves and others.

Encouragement: This practice is about “speaking life” to self and others. Encouragement de-stresses and creates a positive atmosphere around the encourager. To encourage yourself, act like a good parent or a good coach toward yourself. Identify your abilities and strong points. Acknowledge any progress you make. Point out to yourself a job well done. Remind yourself that mistakes are learning opportunities. Speak words of life to others as well. Tell them about their strengths and improvements. Consistent encouragement is energizing. It can bring out the best in people. It causes positive people to be attracted to you and so form a supportive community around you, which contributes both to your well-being and theirs.

Once you learn how to encourage yourself, you can surround your family and friends with wonderful life-giving words and actions. For more secrets check out howtoencourage.com

Encouragement that What You Do Matters to Someone Somewhere

What we do today matters! The things we see as small or of little consequence matter today, tomorrow even a hundred years from now.

Pascal wrote, "The slightest movement affects the whole of nature; one stone can alter the whole sea. Likewise, in the realm of grace, the slightest action affects everything because of its consequences; therefore everything matters."

Peter Kreeft's comments on that thought from Pascal take it to an uncomfortable conclusion, alive with frightening and wonderful possibilities. He suggests that when someone says a loving word to another, "some martyr three thousand miles and three hundred years away may receive grace to endure his trials because of you. And if you sin one more time this afternoon, that martyr may weaken, compromise and be broken."

Jesus stated it this way: "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much."

These are amazing thoughts to ponder. Often we see the realities that the small choices of daily living do matter. God seems to delight in adding His touch to the apparent "ordinary" events of life, to make a difference in the whole for His good and grace-filled purposes. We often see the negative side of this truth in failures in faithfulness. Before a person makes one big bad choice, they make a number of little, seemingly inconsequential choices that set the stage for unfaithfulness...

Who you are and what you do each day matters. It matters in your personal life. It matters to your family and friends. It matters in the big picture of what God is doing now and in the times to come throughout the world.

Keep on doing the right thing. It does matter.
Thoughts from DSI newsletter

Encouragement for Connection

"I cannot walk for you, but I can walk alongside you."

Do you know someone who would say that to you in the midst of your crisis? Someone who would be there for you no matter what?

I see people struggling everyday who have no one to turn to when the going gets tough. People who are lonely in the midst of a crowd.

"Suffering itself does not do us in or sabotage the will to live. Usually we sabotage ourselves by foolishly trying to live our lives in isolation. Without the comfort and love of other human beings, none of us is very strong. Aligned with others who accept us and support us, we can survive most anything." Anne Kaiser Stearns

One of the best ways to find a supportive friend is to be one to someone else.

You can do it. I can help!

For more secrets on how to be a friend, check out How to encourage

Encouragement for the Heart

I read this anonymous quote and it encouraged my heart. Hope it does the same for you and yours!

"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints on your heart.
To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.
Anger is only one letter short of danger.
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault; if he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.
He who loses money, loses much; he who loses a friend loses much more; he who loses faith, loses all.
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself...
There is a beginning and end.
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present.

Encouraging Tribute

I read this thank you about a special person and thought how beautiful and encouraging it is. Who doesn't desperately need to have a friend like this in their life? Who will answer the call to be a friend like this?

"Opening long locked doors
That others may pass through
Is a GIFT that some possess-
Especially you.

When I faced bolted doors
And couldn't take one step,
You quickly opened them-
I'm GRATEFUL for your help.

I live to give that GIFT-
To help somebody through.
It's my way of saying THANKS-
It's MY TRIBUTE TO YOU!
Perry Tanksley

Your favor upon my life is a song in my heart and a light on my path.
You have a very special place. Philippians 1:7
Thanking God for you. Ephesians 1:16

Encouragement Note

Are you struggling with life lately? Maybe feeling down or anxious about a difficult situation that you are facing?

Hang tough.
You can do it.
You are a survivor.
Go for it.

Life is what you choose to make of it--you can focus on the positive or negative. The really inspirational stories are of people who have overcome tremendous adversity, challenges and faced controversy head on. No backing down.

You don't often hear of those with an easy life that accomplished much. People who rise to the top are people who choose to accept their lot in life and take the next step forward. No one ever went up the mountain by going down, no matter what the circumstances are. You can fail, but you always get up to try again.

"I can be changed by what happens to me. I refuse to be reduced by it," writes Maya Angelou.

Norman Vincent Peale said, "Problems are to the mind what exercise is to the muscle-they toughen and make strong."

General Patton encouraged his troops with, "Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory."

Great people went through the refining and clarifying fire to know what words to say to inspire others. It's all about the encouragement attitude.

Why Encouragement?

Our world needs encouragement…a world ravaged by depression and death, fear and frenetic activity, sorrow and strife. At times the darkness threatens to overwhelm us.

How do we learn to live with courage to face our problems, with energy and purpose instead of listlessness, boredom and discouragement? How do we combat the negative messages this out-of-control culture gives us every day?

I believe the answer lies in the effort of encouragement. In fact, I am passionate about encouragement because it has worked for me and I have witnessed its power in countless others in my realm of relationships. But it does take effort, enthusiasm and energy to learn to encourage another.

Just the other evening, I saw a friend lift up her head, in spite of difficult circumstances because someone said simple words ‘you have shown amazing courage in the midst of your pain.’ They noticed her, spoke significant words that understood what she was going through and gave support by their acknowledgement.

Encouragement by definition means to give hope, support, assistance, help; that in spite of troubles one never gives up, cheering one on in the form of spectators at a race. Everybody needs an ‘atta boy, atta girl,’ our own personal ‘wind beneath our wings’ person, a cheerleader to save us.

Stories abound with heroic tales of that special friend, parent or teacher that encouraged a new endeavor or passed on the will to persevere. You can be that person to your family, friends and community. Your words and actions can bring healing to someone in your world.

Do you know the right words to say to bring hope and encouragement to your friend or family member today?

I believe if we could learn to say encouraging words to each other, we could change the world one person at a time.

Discover the simple secrets of encouragement at
How to encourage

Encouragement to Be Happy

Are you a happy person?
Are you seeking contentment, inner satisfaction and a purposeful life?

Research shows that you can develop and strengthen your happiness muscles even if you tend toward the negative. Having a happy outlook is right at your fingertips.

Dr. Dan Baker from Arizona Canyon Ranch says, "our ability to experience happiness is 50 percent influenced by genetics, 10 percent by events, and 40 percent by intention."

Since most of the time you can't do anything to change your genetics or the events that happen to you, your focus should be on how you can change your attitude. If you purpose in your heart to notice and accentuate the good in your life you have a headstart towards happiness.

The great motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar points people to the positive approach. "Positive thinking won't let you do anything, but it will let you do everything better than negative thinking will."

What does that mean for your everyday lifestyle?

Maybe it's as simple as noticing what's right in your life instead of what's wrong and writing it down in a personal gratitude/satisfaction journal. People who were tested and then instructed to record every instance in which they were thankful reported higher levels of enthusiasm, optimism and energy.

The lesson?
Don't wait for something big to be happy. Make yourself happy by noticing the small blessings that are already in place.

Encouragement to 'Do Right Anyway'

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest anyway.

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

What you spent years building, may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

People really need help but may turn against you if you help them. Help them anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and you may get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

Dean Speicher-former PHM Superintendent

Matt 5: 43-44 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."