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Encourage
It’s something we are supposed to do with our children, our co-workers, our friends and hopefully even ourselves.
But, admittedly, it’s not always easy, right?
Do you sometimes not encourage someone else because you don’t want to see them succeed?
Sometimes, do you not encourage your kids so that they won’t fail and you won’t have to see them upset or sad?
It’s o.k., it’s human and very natural but I hope this happens far and few between.
I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
Thomas A. Edison
or how about:
Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.
Morihei Ueshiba
Yet I know sometimes, with our own life, there feels like so much failure that it doesn’t feel worth it anymore.
I get it, believe me. I’m right there with you.
But, before we get stuck in that mentality, here are some more thoughts to not only remind you to keep going but that sometimes we must fail (a lot) before we find success.
Do you ever feel like everyone else is succeeding and you’re not?
When you’re scrolling through social media, do you get discouraged because everyone else talks and seems so perfect?
Have you ever thought about this:
We normally only see the ‘stage performance’!
We rarely ever hear about or see all the hard work or just how many people it has taken for them to get to where they are.
It sucks!
I fall prey to it all the time.
Comparing myself to others and thinking, I’m just as good, why am I not getting X,Y,Z.
Well, everyone is different and everyone’s time is different.
So what I encourage you to remember is that everything takes work and nothing is done overnight!
Your efforts are not in vain.
I encourage you to remember that everything takes work and nothing is done overnight! Your efforts are not in vain.
If you are seeing progress, even if very little and it’s something you really want, keep trying!
Don’t stop trying, unless your trying isn’t working.
Because, of course, on the flip side there is this:
“When you discover you’re riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.”
Old Dakota Tribal Wisdom
At times, you will need to sit down and really evaluate your situation.
I encourage you to be willing to do this.
No, it’s not easy.
No one wants to do it, but to grow and become your best you it’s important.
And then there’s this:
A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.
∼John A. Shedd
Now, you can take this literally, right?
Or, you can look at it this way.
We are safe if we never venture out or try new things but that is not what we are ‘built’ for.
Is there something you are wishing to do, be, try, explore?
Then go!
I encourage you 🙂
Do it!
Be it!
Try it!
Explore it!
I’ll tell you a quick story.
I lived in New York City for years (and through 9/11) and after a while I was ready to leave and move back home or at least closer to my parents.
A close friend of mine, from home, happened to live in NJ at the time and she kept trying to convince me to stay because she didn’t want me to leave.
I remember telling her, I can stay here and you can be happy or I can leave and I’ll be happy.
I found this quote during this time and it was what helped encourage me to finally making the decision to leave and return closer to my parents.
As much as I loved NYC, I had such a wonderful job, the best of friends, an awesome apartment, the food is the best but it was time to move on.
I could’ve stayed in my safe place/zone but I knew that was not what was best for me!
And now, two last things, and sorry, they are a bit cliché:
Every day is a new day!
And everything goes in cycles.
Every day you get the chance to wake up and make new decisions.
Every Day!
Even if they are, what you might consider, small mental decisions. They can make a huge difference in your day.
What have you encouraged yourself to do lately? Are you good at encouraging others? Please share with us in the comments so we can all be encouraged! 🙂 Thanks!
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I love your post! It is so encouraging, haha. Really though, encouragement is such a critical part of a healthy lifestyle. Not only does it help yourself, but it helps others.
I love that, so true! You help yourself while you help others. Thanks!
I think encouraging yourself and others helps make us all better! There’s always time for it!
Agreed! Thanks for sharing.
I love the part about only seeing the finished product. No one looks polished all the time. No one has a perfect life. We all have to remember that.
Thanks for the post!
It’s hard to remember sometimes but you’re right, we have to! Thanks.
Like you said, encouragement can be hard sometimes! And at times it doesn’t feel right, but it’s definitely something to practice more often!
Definitely!
Loved reading this!! So true how we need encouragement in our lives for a healthy lifestyle. I also feel like if we are able to encourage ourselves it is easier to encourage others.
Oh that’s great, yes, if we are good at encouraging ourselves we will be better at encouraging others! Thanks!
Such a great, uplifting post! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
These are all great reminders!
Thanks 🙂
Such a beautiful uplifting post! I think it’s important to remember to encourage others even when you just don’t feel encouraging. Sometimes, it’s hard to be positive and so easy to be critical but you’ve made so many good points <3 Jamie
I agree, always important to encourage even if you don’t feel it! Thanks.
100% love this post. It’s so true. We are all human, we are all suckered in at times to peoples lives through social media without seeing how they got there. Hard work does pay off. Thank you for all of these reminders.
😁 Thank you!
This was such an inspiring post! It’s so important that we’re able to continue to encourage ourselves even when it may seem to be in vain! I LOVE the quotes you sprinkled throughout!
I agree so much. And thanks!
Thank you SO much for this. Even a blog post from a total stranger has been helpful for this girl. I had a rough week so this was much needed.
I’m so glad it’s helped!