14 Nov Encouragement – goes a long way
What is encouragement?
What is encouragement? In a nutshell – support. Encouragement goes a long way and is a beautiful trait to use when used with a pure heart and pure intentions.
Everyone needs encouragement
Everyone needs to be encouraged throughout all stages of life. Babies receive encouragement when they learn to walk. Children need encouragement to share their toys with their siblings and friends, to pick up after themselves, to put things back in place, to study, and we all need encouragement to try something new.
Internal encouragement
We all need support from others as well as ourselves. As we grow older, we use internal motivation to do things such as bigger cleaning jobs around the house, looking for employment, taking on additional studies, keeping our finances in order and maintaining our relationships with work colleagues, friends and family.
Friends of encouragement
Responsibility and self-discipline are required to live the life you imagine for yourself. Caring is a quality that is a beautiful trait to have as it is often seen and felt by the heart of those you care for. Compassion and empathy can also be used when being encouraging.
The balance of encouragement
While being encouraging is supportive, it does not necessarily positively mean support. Unfortunately, being encouraging has been used negatively also. So-called friends or partners have, historically, encouraged their other half to commit suicide. People encourage others to self-harm, especially young adults. Online friends have encouraged young adults to run away from home and hand over or pay for goods or services because they have supposedly fallen in love with a stranger who has the gift of the gab (an expression that means someone can express their words to their advantage).
Encouragement, like most things in life, can be used positively and negatively. It is essential to use your wisdom and remove yourself from harm’s way if people are encouraging you to do things that are not necessarily in your best interests.
If something is a ‘secret’, there may be cause for concern. There is a difference between secrets and discretion, and learning the difference comes with maturity, which naturally takes time.
If you are encouraging someone, or someone is encouraging you to be mindful of who the outcome benefits and – be kind, be kind, be kind.
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