Encouragement...

First of all, thank you to all of you who take the time out to encourage me. There are very few people who are truly perfect at the art of sincere encouragement with no 'if's, and's or but's', and I am lucky enough to know some of them, so thanks.

I am reading a book by John Maxwell (never heard of him before) called 'Encouragement Changes Everything', and as I am reading this I can absolutely say this is true! It does change everything...my life is practically a case study of this fact!

And not just the 'good luck' kind of encouragement...real, true, sincere compliments and 'I know you can do this!' kind of stuff. Where when they say, 'I believe in you', they really mean it and you know they really mean it.

My middle and high school orchestra teacher Ms. Dollahon was one of those for me. She knew I could be better. She pushed and prodded and encouraged and challenged...you know, it's her fault I am still in music. I really try and be like her (I fail quite often, more often than I realize I think at this) in challenging people to be better than they are, especially when it comes to music.

Walt Disney (one of my favorites) said the following:

There are three kinds of people in the world today. There are 'well poisoners,' who discourage you and stomp on your creativity and tell you what you can't do. There are 'lawn mowers' - people who are well- intentioned but self-absorbed; they tend to their own needs, mow their own lawns and never leave their yards to help another person. Finally, there are 'life enrichers' - people who reach out to enrich the lives of others, to lift them up and inspire them. We need to be life enrichers, and we need to surround ourselves with life enrichers.

Boy, what a great quote...

We all need encouragers...people who strengthen, inspire, raise you up (to quote the Josh Groban song)...even the Savior, when in the Garden of Gethsemene, was weighed down with the unimaginable pain and anguish of the atonement, had an angel there to strengthen Him. We have need of a 'Comforter' in this life...Christ made it clear that He would send one...obviously encouragement is needed...

Karma...what goes around comes around...if you want an encourager, be one! Next time someone tells you their dream, don't shoot it down with 'and if it doesn't work out'. As long as it isn't morally wrong, why not encourage it? And LEAVE IT AT THAT...And they will survive if it really doesn't work out...they know the risks...they are sharing the dream because they are human/scared/unsure/insecure/whatever and are looking for good wholesome encouragement...not shoot-downs. And you know what...MORE often than not, they DO succeed. And they will love/like/care for you all the more for believing in them! Don't be a 'well-poisoner'...be a life enricher!