"Instruction does much,
but encouragement everything."
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
What a great quote that I have found to be so true throughout my personal life, and that of a manager of people.
Goethe also is quoted saying, "The greatest evil that can befall man is that he should come to think ill of himself."
So, what is the real value of encouragement? It is that we help someone else to restore belief in themselves.
Everyone believes in themselves once in a while, and I think that few really believe in themselves all the time. This indicates just how much the world is in need of encouragement.
I've often talked about knowledge, appreciation, joy, love, freedom, and empowerment is at the top of the emotional scale. Empowerment is essentially encouragement. We are encouraging people in their own power.
Instruction is good. We all can use instruction, but what we crave more than anything is love, appreciation, encouragement, and to be therefore empowered within ourselves in confidence, and thereby, in joy.
It doesn't matter if it is a child, a spouse, a sibling, an employee, or a neighbor, we all love to be loved and appreciated. We all love to be encouraged and empowered. We all love the feeling of confidence, of believing in ourselves and our own power.
Watch what happens. Pay attention today, and be open to ways in which you can be encouraging to others, and then act on that. It doesn't really matter how small or minor a bit of encouragement is in the same way that a little bit of love is no different than a whole bunch of love. It all feels delightful.
If someone does something for you however small you think it is, be appreciative and in that appreciation, you are encouraging them. If someone serves you, pay attention to how they serve and compliment them, which is another form of encouragement.
You could say that appreciation in any form is encouragement, in the same way, that we could say that love in any form is encouragement, Find your joy and spread that joy and that too is a form of encouragement. You might be surprised at how many ways you can be of encouragement to others in one day. Then do it tomorrow, and the next day, until it becomes you. Then you are an encouragement, an encourager, a lover, empowering. If that doesn't bring you joy. . . well, that would be impossible. It will bring you non-stop joy.
It Is Impossible To Uplift Others Without Uplifting Yourself.
Spread Some Joy Today--by paying attention and finding ways to be an encouragement to others.
No comments:
Post a Comment