We were not meant to live isolated lives. The longer you live, the more you understand the need to live in the context of community. We are bombarded with fears. We are overwhelmed with negativity. The truth is, we really do need each other. We need the encouraging word and affirmation that only comes through friendships.
Encouraging the heart is about developing friendships. How do you develop friendships? You recognize the gifts in others. When was the last time YOU reached out to someone. When was the last time YOU called forth the gifts in others. When you cultivate the goodness in others, friendships open up and authentic community happens. Stop waiting for people to come to you. Stop looking for the perfect friend. Start seeing what is obvious. There are many people who would be YOUR friend if YOU cultivated the relationship.
Encouraging the heart is about becoming an encourager and investing yourself in others. There are steps in developing deep relationships:
1. Stop being negative - you will be able to share your heart but it takes time.
2. Affirm others - I think you understand this one.
3. Don't talk about people - if you put down others you will scare away the relationship you want to cultivate. Constant put-downs of others will remind the person that eventually the put downs will land on their door step.
4. Stop finding fault - if you want to see imperfection, then look at yourself.
5. Give space - don't suffocate a relationship.
6. Don't stereotype - I drive a beat up truck. That doesn't mean I'm a redneck. I live on a limited budget maybe that's all I can afford. True friendships move beyond shallowness.
7. Be a safe place - when you become a safe place you will soon have friends and deep relationships.
I have a friend with whom I can be authentic with. I don't see him daily or weekly. When we are together it is safe. We can speak our hearts. We laugh, get mad, and enjoy life for the moment. When we leave each other's presence we feel better about ourselves. He doesn't beat me up. He doesn't put me down. He is a true friend. I have asked him to do my funeral, if I have one...I may give my body to science. It's cheaper than a funeral. Enough of that.
Okay, so be an encourager. Be a healer. Maybe it's time you grow beyond yourself. Maybe it's your season to be the mature one and look beyond yourself to see the gift in others. Find someone to build up and encourage today. When you do you will change your world one person a a time.
Be Encouraged,
Rick
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Encouragement and Humility
Encouraging the heart is about humility. It is about knowing where you have come from. It is looking at your faults and failures and remembering. Remembering what? Remembering where you have come from. There is no place for arrogance. There is no place for condemnation. It is about taking the hard lessons in life and encouraging another person to get up, overcome and excel.
I have worked with people over time. I have watched people hit hard times. I have helped many people out of ditches. I have watched with amazement how people will recover and become arrogant and self centered. Encouraging the heart is about helping others along the way. Encouraging the heart is about losing arrogance and a judgmental spirit.
Encouraging the heart speaks truth. The truth is spoken through the eyes of compassion and experience. Everyone needs compassion. Everyone needs help along the way without a judgmental spirit, without condemnation. Encouraging the heart is not about an "anything goes, oh well" attitude. Encouraging the heart is about looking at life and helping others avoid the mistakes we have made.
It takes a strong person to weather life. One of the places that opens my eyes to the power of encouragement is any children's hospital. I have been in several children's hospitals and watched the need for hope and encouragement in the eyes of parents and children. The people who really amaze me are the children. Many times it's the child who has cancer reaching out to a parent, encouraging the heart and saying everything will be okay. It's the humility of a child that speaks volumes about encouragement. When a child reaches out to a parent to assure the parent that all will be okay without condemnation or negativity, you know you are in the presence of greatness.
I challenge you today to look for someone beyond yourself, your family, or your close circle of friends to encourage. You will change your world one person at a time.
Be Encouraged,
Rick
I have worked with people over time. I have watched people hit hard times. I have helped many people out of ditches. I have watched with amazement how people will recover and become arrogant and self centered. Encouraging the heart is about helping others along the way. Encouraging the heart is about losing arrogance and a judgmental spirit.
Encouraging the heart speaks truth. The truth is spoken through the eyes of compassion and experience. Everyone needs compassion. Everyone needs help along the way without a judgmental spirit, without condemnation. Encouraging the heart is not about an "anything goes, oh well" attitude. Encouraging the heart is about looking at life and helping others avoid the mistakes we have made.
It takes a strong person to weather life. One of the places that opens my eyes to the power of encouragement is any children's hospital. I have been in several children's hospitals and watched the need for hope and encouragement in the eyes of parents and children. The people who really amaze me are the children. Many times it's the child who has cancer reaching out to a parent, encouraging the heart and saying everything will be okay. It's the humility of a child that speaks volumes about encouragement. When a child reaches out to a parent to assure the parent that all will be okay without condemnation or negativity, you know you are in the presence of greatness.
I challenge you today to look for someone beyond yourself, your family, or your close circle of friends to encourage. You will change your world one person at a time.
Be Encouraged,
Rick
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Encouragement and The Unkown
Negative people drive me insane. There is always someone there to say, "Hasn't worked before, it won't work now." OK...maybe some things haven't worked before, but that doesn't mean you stop trying. Encouraging the heart means you never stop saying positive life-giving words. The unknown is an amazing place of opportunities. Sure there will be challenges, but challenges create opportunities.
Encouraging the heart always looks at the challenges of life as opportunities. Look at the unknown as a great a great adventure...a chance to overcome...a chance to excel. General Douglas McArthur said, “Every great venture in the history of man has begun with faith and a giant leap into the unknown”. So I say leave the naysayer's behind. Dream big and expect big.
As a leader you are expected to navigate your organization through all kinds of unknowns. You learn along the way. Board the ship and learn to navigate. Learn to navigate in both calm and stormy waters. Always put people around you that will support the vision. Never give up. Never believe that negativity will give good results.
There was a time in my life when I wanted to give up. The inner voice said, "Navigate into the unknown regardless of fear...regardless of the lack of security...regardless of the naysayers. Go to work and embrace the unknown as a great opportunity." We need encouragement to face the unknown. We need the cheerleaders that say don't give up...try again...you can do it! I need to encourage someone every day. Why? Because encouraging someone to face the unknown will ignite hope. Hope never disappoints us. I believe that the encouragement I give others will in time come back to me when I am in need.
I challenge you to look at the unknown as a great opportunity for you to face your fears and excel. Take hold of the future. Look at it square in the eye. Never quit...never give up. Many people fear death. I don't...death is a gateway into the great unknown. I know I will die. I want to face that great day as a time of graduating to the great unknown. I hope I get to encourage someone as I take my last breath. Why? With encouraging words comes new life...new hope...new opportunities. I want to give the gift of encouragement. I want to breathe life into another human being. That really is the greatest gift.
OK...be encouraged to face the unknown. I want to encourage you to look at your obstacles as great opportunities. When you overcome - and you will - give the gift of encouragement to someone else. When you do, you will change your world one person at a time.
Be Encouraged,
Rick
Encouraging the heart always looks at the challenges of life as opportunities. Look at the unknown as a great a great adventure...a chance to overcome...a chance to excel. General Douglas McArthur said, “Every great venture in the history of man has begun with faith and a giant leap into the unknown”. So I say leave the naysayer's behind. Dream big and expect big.
As a leader you are expected to navigate your organization through all kinds of unknowns. You learn along the way. Board the ship and learn to navigate. Learn to navigate in both calm and stormy waters. Always put people around you that will support the vision. Never give up. Never believe that negativity will give good results.
There was a time in my life when I wanted to give up. The inner voice said, "Navigate into the unknown regardless of fear...regardless of the lack of security...regardless of the naysayers. Go to work and embrace the unknown as a great opportunity." We need encouragement to face the unknown. We need the cheerleaders that say don't give up...try again...you can do it! I need to encourage someone every day. Why? Because encouraging someone to face the unknown will ignite hope. Hope never disappoints us. I believe that the encouragement I give others will in time come back to me when I am in need.
I challenge you to look at the unknown as a great opportunity for you to face your fears and excel. Take hold of the future. Look at it square in the eye. Never quit...never give up. Many people fear death. I don't...death is a gateway into the great unknown. I know I will die. I want to face that great day as a time of graduating to the great unknown. I hope I get to encourage someone as I take my last breath. Why? With encouraging words comes new life...new hope...new opportunities. I want to give the gift of encouragement. I want to breathe life into another human being. That really is the greatest gift.
OK...be encouraged to face the unknown. I want to encourage you to look at your obstacles as great opportunities. When you overcome - and you will - give the gift of encouragement to someone else. When you do, you will change your world one person at a time.
Be Encouraged,
Rick
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)