"In Courage Of" the Thing

Have you ever taken the time to sit back and think about the word "Encouragement"?

The definition of encouragement is "the action of giving someone support, confidence, and hope".  Broken down the word says "in courage of", essentially meaning that to give encouragement is to empower another person; endowing them with courage.

I especially like how the word courage is in the word.

Oftentimes we doubt ourselves and our abilities, lacking confidence to do the (new) thing or things that we have the skills and talents to do.  Sometimes this self-doubt bleeds into the things we've been doing for forever or for a little while. It's in these times we especially need people in our lives who are able to give us the encouragement we need.  It gives us strength to do the thing.

I am an encourager.  It comes naturally to me.  When I am around other people and I can see someone who looks as though they may need a little boost to their day, I do it.  One of the best things is seeing a smile flit across someone's face and knowing in that moment it made a difference.

During the school year I work with elementary aged children.  As a person who works closely with them I find frequent opportunities to give them little boosts of confidence, especially when they are doubting themselves.  There were three kids in particular this last year who needed those extra boosts and there were definitely times when I wondered if what I was saying had any effect at all.  At the end of the year a parent came up to me and thanked me for helping their child, and for making a difference and impact on them.  It made all the struggles of the year worth it.

There have been many times when I've needed a boost and an encouraging person has shown up, be it in a hug, a perfectly timed kind word, or a random compliment.

These boosts to our confidence also help our feelings of self worth.  It's amazing how after being torn down, seeing, reading, or hearing about something that weighs on you, positivity in the form of encouragement lifts us up.

The smallest acts of kindness go a long way.  They are like little seeds being planted and spread around, eventually becoming tall and strong shade-giving trees.  You and I may not get to witness the growth of a seed into a tree but knowing we made a difference is enough.