The Brighter Side

ENCOURAGE : to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope; to spur on : stimulate (Merriam Webster’s Dictionary)

I started to learn intentional encouragement when I was in Bible school. We would have an assignment called “Barnabas”. Each month, we would anonymously encourage one of our classmates for one week. At first, we were not very comfortable with the idea of having to particularly take care of someone we barely knew. But during the course of the year, we got used to it, and we finally loved it. We loved the praise we received, but we also loved to discover our ability to make each other happy. My roommates and I would even have “Barnabas” nights to openly speak about each other’s qualities. This was no longer an assignment, but a habit. I keep excellent memories of these “Barnabas” nights. I  wrote the words my roommates told me and I have preciously kept them ever since.

Encouragement is beautiful.
When I was encouraged, I felt greater, I felt better about myself. I remember it taught me to understand how people actually saw me. And I learned to see myself with fresh eyes.

Encouraging someone is not about lying to them, it is not about flattering them or putting them on a pedestal and bringing ourselves down. It’s about loving them enough to let them know the beautiful truth about themselves.

Because there is an ugly truth, and we already know it. We’re very good at pointing to other people’s flaws and shortcomings. But ultimately, constant criticism reaches its own limitations and leads to frustration.

Fortunately there is a better way up : how about inspiring the people around us with courage, spirit and hope? How about stimulating them into being the best possible version of who they are?

Because people don’t read your mind, they can’t guess what you think about them, unless you tell them. Sometimes, they are not even aware of their qualities or their abilities, because they have been so blinded by the lies they were told and the pain they’ve experienced, that a positive word about themselves can totally turn things around.

Encouraging somebody doesn’t take more than a smile, a nice word, open arms or a heart ready to listen. It is any act that says “I am here, and I care for you because you are worth caring for”. It is so little but it produces so much. Encouragement is like a seed: when you sow a little bit of it, you reap satisfaction on both sides.

What I found out, as I started encouraging the people around me, is that the greater they felt about themselves, the greater I perceived them, and the better they felt, the better I felt about them. When I encourage someone, even though I’m not the one receiving the encouragement, I feel a sense of joy and fulfillment that nothing else gives me.
Encouragement is a contagious, powerful force and a strong catalyst for change. What if this change started with you?

Question : What does “Encourage” mean to you?