Tag: encouragement

Categories
motivation

The Present and the Past

back view of a child in a yellow coat on bike in an autumn park
Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.com

The good news is we don’t have to be defined by our past. Yes, it was important, and it made us who we are today. But each morning gives us a restart.

That’s good news for those of us with regrets (and if we have no regrets, we played it too safe).

The challenge for today is to learn from the past and make it the best possible day. We can be defined by what we do today. There is no resting on laurels here. Sure, we can take our past skills and what we’ve learned from the past. But let the regrets go.

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today.
Let us begin.—Mother Theresa

Categories
growth motivation

Getting Older or Getting Old

Aging is inevitable. We start getting older the minute we are born. Of course, as children we keep growing and learning. But as adults, we have a choice to continue to grow, or just get old.

www.brainyquote.com/s/a_195fc

Too many of us decide once school is over, there is nothing to learn. We live on knowledge that is stale and affected by time. Life gives us some bumps and bruises along the way. We learn to fear some things and become bitter about other things.

It is our choice. Are you getting better or worse? We can continue to learn and grow. The body may be giving us issues, but our minds are always ready to learn. Our spirits can soar above the tragedies and disappointments of this world. We can decide to become better instead of bitter.

Each day, we have a choice to grow. There are several things we can do today to make that happen.

  • Read a book
  • Keep a journal
    • It can be written, or drawn
    • It can contain scraps of paper notes or photos like a scrapbook
    • If nothing else, write down what you are thankful for
  • Take up a new hobby
  • Consider other opinions
  • Laugh! Yes, find something to laugh about in good humor

We can have a growth mindset. Every one of us is getting older. But none of us have to just get old!

Categories
motivation

Happy New Year!

This morning, I woke up to I Hope You Dance running through my head. It is the perfect song for the start of a new year.

May you have a blessed 2022!

I Hope You Dance, by Lee Ann Womack
Categories
motivation

Encourage Each Other

Encourage Each Other

How many of us love to go somewhere where we know we will be torn down? Who loves an atmosphere that drips with discouragement and criticism? None of us, I bet. It is far better to be at a place where we encourage each other!

If you’ve read many of my posts, you know I value encouragement and like to give it. To me, it is the key to motivation. None of us like to be criticized. Yet, we all need to learn how to improve. It can be a fine line between being taught how to improve and being torn down. As a result, we must be careful to do more building up than tearing down.

I like to keep this verse in mind:

“Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) via Biblegateway.com

In the Apostle Paul’s epistles, there were plenty of instances where he had to rebuke and steer a person or church in the right direction. Yet, he also seasoned them with thanksgiving and encouragement. He knew there was always something positive to highlight. We all need to know there is something we are doing right. Otherwise, what’s the point?

So when someone frustrates us, let’s try encouragement. Find at least one thing the person is doing right. Consider how you would feel if all you heard was negative. How can you find something good to highlight along with the factor that needs improvement. A little motivation along with instruction could go a long way!

Categories
Encouragement

A Language of Connection

Can our laguage make a difference when it comes to making a connection with others? Last year, it seemed every other phrase involved the term, “social distancing.” This article at Inc.com by Bill Murphy, Jr. had a good point about the term  and he proposed the following:

 

The less you can emphasize distance—and instead emphasize physical separation but social connection in your language—the better things might be for your employees.

Want to Be Happy? A Top Psychologist Says Stop ‘Social Distancing,’ and Do This Instead

We had to make a lot of adjustments last year. Is it possible we were affected so much by the challenging circumstances that we are unknowingly causing negative emotions to extend beyond a crisis?

Our language makes a difference when it comes to the results we want to see. Positive, encouraging language can influence outcomes. So let’s speak in a way that will do just that. We can influence the mood in a room, or even on a Zoom call by the words we speak.