Encourage Others

I was the starting middle linebacker on our high school football team. Weighing in at only 140 pounds, I was small and overmanned. I will never forget what our coach said at halftime during the game against one of our rivals: “If everybody plays as hard in the second half as Booth did in the first half, they won’t know what hit them!” Talk about affirming a young man in front of his peers. In the second half, I played even harder than ever before, so hard that I threw up on the sidelines.

Having encouraged thousands of people over the years, I have discovered that everyone wants to have hope. They want to believe that tomorrow will be better than today. Encouragement is often unknowingly delivered right smack in the middle of life’s storms. People who are encouraged rediscover their hope for the future. People are craving for someone to say, “I’m so proud of what you are doing, you make this world a better place to live in.” Here are four ways to encourage others:

1. Acceptance – There’s not a better way to encourage others than by accepting them for who they are.

2. Love – Tell others you love them. When they feel loved, they are encouraged.

3. Time – Spending time with someone is so close to being loved that they are almost indistinguishable.

4. Appreciation – Expressing thanks and praise encourages others. No one will ever get tired of you thanking them.

Although my high school football days are long gone, encouragement like what my coach did 25 years ago still inspires me to do my best. I gave a presentation a couple of weeks ago to an assisted living association and the person who hired me came up to me before the program and said, “I know you haven’t started yet, but I want to tell you that you were engaging, energizing and just the perfect thing our attendees needed to start the morning, thanks!” The program was all that and a bag of chips because nothing inspires a person to take action like encouragement.

In a self published, social media crazed world, egotism, smugness, and hopelessness often prevail. It becomes very easy to feel small and overmanned. Encouragement delivered from the heart makes the difference. It’s not surprising to know that people need encouragement from others. I’m encouraging you to encourage others. When you are encouraged, you have hope. When you have hope, you are inspired to take action.

For more information on Matt Booth, visit http://www.speakernow.com/espeakers/19149/Matt-Booth.html?topic=-1

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