Encourage: en·cour·age: inˈkərij

Verb: give support, confidence, or hope to (someone).

Life is tough. One comes to find that growing up is full of hardships. If you are struggling; You are not alone.

Encouragement is a type of love. A love that can be shared with family, friends, and acquaintances. Encouragement is more compelling than motivation. When you are an encourager, you are instilling courage. Encouragement can be viewed in multiple perspectives —consoling a friend who just received detrimental news by reassuring them that everything is going to be alright or telling a classmate good luck on an upcoming exam because you noticed them studying night and day. Encouragement is kindness.

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget the way you made them feel.”

So often individuals get caught up in their own experiences, their own manifests of life, and their own minds. So busy with daily tasks not shedding a hair of influence on others. I urge you to familiarize yourself with your surroundings and start to acknowledge the humans who are apart of your daily life. Break out of your daily routine. Utilize the power of encouragement and show an individual support.

Being an encourager is about doing. Think back to a time when you needed support, and how having someone be there for you made you feel. I can assume that it made you feel loved and connected. Start by doing. Be the encourager.

How to

Praise. Praise using words or gestures. Remind people daily that they are so loved and so beautiful. Every person you come into contact with is very similar to you as an individual and they have good days and they have bad days. Everyone needs encouragement. If you have something nice to say, say it. Speak positive words to people and you will speak life into them. Encourage people with compliments and kindness.

“We could make everyday better for each other. If we’re all on the same team, let’s start acting like it. We have got work to do. We were made to be awesome.”

Potential

Cherish the ones around you. Make it apparent to those surrounding that your daily actions reflect upon your character. Be an encourager. Be someone you needed on your darkest day. No matter what you feel like get up, get dressed, and show up. Be someone who will be remembered for the positive way they made an individual feel. Be someone who takes time to listen and understand. Ask questions, offer advice, and never judge.

Everyone is facing a battle we know nothing about.

Challenge

When you run into an acquaintance who has a beautiful blouse, tell that person. The little things matter in life, and a simple compliment could change their entire day. Open your eyes, open your hearts, and be aware. Be aware to grow familiar with life and cherish it as the beautiful mess that it is. Go out of your comfort zone. Encourage someone today and everyday after today.

Encouragement is free and underutilized.

Why it matters

Encouragement means empowerment. Always remember your purpose is not to have someone think more of you, but instead to have someone think more of their own self. Believe in people, and empower them to believe in themselves. Give them the hope they need to raise up and thrive to be the best that they can be. Those who believe in us create an atmosphere in which it becomes easier to succeed. If you believe in others and expect great things from them, then they will go the extra mile trying to do their very best. When you can accomplish this, you can truly change lives.

"If you share with you heart, give with your heart; what you share with the world is what it keeps of you."

Change your words, change your world.