Encouragement and Freedom

Did you know that using the gift of encouragement brings freedom? There are many things that hold us captive in life and so many things pressing into our life that rob us of our joy. The power of encouragement creates freedom for both the one who gives the encouragement and for the one who receives encouragement.

Negativity surrounds us all the time and speaks into our life constantly. What if we harnessed all that negativity and packaged it into intermittent words of encouragement? I once had a part-time job as a chat facilitator. It's a customer service job that deals with negativity much of the time. My job was to type instructions to front line customer service agents that are receiving phone calls. What they often feel is negativity from both the customer and from the company. I decided to harness the power of encouragement and post encouraging phrases in the chat room while our customer service agents received calls.

What happened next was a surprise. I really didn't think anyone would pay attention. I posted simple things like “You guys rock!” and I started receiving chat messages back like, “Thank you! Very few people tell us that! You rock too!”  It's amazing - when you use the power of encouragement to free yourself from negativity it also frees everyone around you. It's like a bird being released from a cage.

Here are some reasons why practicing encouragement is such a freeing experience:

• You Are Set Free from Negativity - If we're not careful, we can become agents of negativity simply by association. I've always been told we are no more effective than those we put around us. You will draw positive people by being encouraging and positive yourself.
• You Set Others Free from Negativity - By harnessing the power of encouragement and using it in everyday life you're able to set the pace for others to follow.
• You Are Set Free From the Norm - What if somebody makes fun of you for being an encourager? So what! Go against the grain! Speak positive words to everyone you meet! Swim against the current of negativity and emerge gifting others with the power of encouragement.
• You Are Set Free from Discouragement – Negativity is the source of much of the discouragement that we feel in our lives.  It can stem from negative experiences, negative words from others, or a pattern of negativity you've set for yourself. I hate feeling discouraged! I want to be free from discouragement as much as possible so I can see the path in front of me.
• You Are Set Free to See True Potential - I don't like being around people that put others down. I believe that in leadership we must be trained to see the potential in every person. Everyone has something to offer that is positive. When I harness the power of encouragement I am set free to see true potential in everyone.

Be empowered today to give the gift of encouragement to others around you. You will be excited to see how new paths develop for the person you're speaking life into, and for yourself as well.

Be Encouraged,

Rick