The Encouragement Blog

We all need some encouragement from time to time!

May
23
Posted by encourage

Encouragement, Acknowledgement, and Recognition

by my great friend Phill Evans check his site out at

www.peoplestuff.com.au

My phone rang.  Because I happened to be sitting in my office, and had my reading glasses on, I could see the name of the caller: Paul Dunn.  So my greeting as I answered the phone was this, “Hi there Mr Paul Dunn, how the heck are you”?  Paul’s response was that he was thrilled that I had greeted him that way, as we haven’t seen each other in a couple of years, and he’s based mainly in Singapore these days.  We exchanged the usual laughter and “long-time-no-see” kinda stuff; and then Paul told me that he had called for one very simple reason: and that was to tell me to keep up my great work in what I was doing every day!   Apart from the Wow-Factor; I was also humbled.

Now Paul’s a very busy guy, and is one of the Co-Founders of Buy1GIVE1 or B1G1, and as I said above, is mainly based in Singapore these days.  He had gone out of his way to make a call to me which was full of encouragement, acknowledgement, and recognition for what I do!  A simple act of pure kindness and without any strings attached, or any hidden agenda at all.

Two things happened for me: the first thing was that I felt absolutely wonderful to receive that call; and am so grateful to Paul for making it.  Thanks heaps mate!  And the second thing was that I realised that I actually make those kind of calls (and emails) every day to numerous people all over the world, and now I know through being on the other end of ‘the line’, just how it feels.  So Mr Paul Dunn, you have helped me to realise and feel the benefit in receiving something as simple as a phone call, but with good intent.  Which has also encouraged me to continue doing what I do, and to not even think about the size of the phone bill.  Smiling …. And it also encourages me to recommend that more people make similar calls because these days it is just too easy to get caught up in being time poor or have other ‘more important’ things to do.  I actually make it a habit to make 7 of these calls a day when I can, and that’s most of the time because I make it a priority. Keep the calls short and sweet; and you’ll make someone’s day; while getting the satisfaction out of an act of giving!

FYI folks: B1G1 is the home of the most powerful, impactful and change-making giving process in the world.  In 2000 Paul ‘retired’ and sold all his business interests, only to discover the transformational power of giving in 2006 by funding an orphanage for Tsunami-affected children in India. That led to his co-discovery of Buy1GIVE1 in 2007.  When you’ve finished here you might like to google B1G1 and see what it’s all about.

Gratitude and Joy

Judgement of any kind is the strongest and most successful eliminator of joy from our lives!
Yes - it deprives us of the inner-most feelings of what most people refer to as being happy!
And like all aspect of life which we can learn to improve or change; the awareness of just how often we can easily slip into judgement mode, is the way to overcome it entirely!  Just be aware, and if you feel yourself starting to be judgemental about anyone or anything, then you can stop yourself, and choose to change your attitude towards that person or thing!  Awareness leads to change; if you choose to embrace a different attitude, and re-focus on that good stuff!

The other side of the ‘joy story’ is that one of the greatest ways to achieve joy (inner happiness) is to be grateful for everything in your life, and to express that gratitude openly: to yourself and to others!  Become aware of how good it feels; then practise feeling and acting grateful as often as you can.  It will quickly turn into a good habit if practised diligently, and worth every ounce of effort I assure you!

And here’s a bonus: That same wonderful friend Paul Dunn from Singapore interviewing Dr John Demartini on the subject of Gratitude and Joy - JUST GO HERE

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May
21
Posted by encourage

Slingshot Slavery

A little boy was visiting his grandparents on their farm and he was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced for some time but he could never hit the target he had set for himself.

Getting a little discouraged, he headed back to the farmhouse for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hitting the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved!

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, ‘Sally, let’s wash the dishes.’

But Sally said, ‘Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.’  Then she whispered to Johnny, ‘Remember the duck?’

So Johnny did the dishes and later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, ‘I’m sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.’

Sally just smiled and said, ‘Well that’s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help you.’ She whispered again, ‘Remember the duck?’

So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s; he finally couldn’t stand it any longer.

He went to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.

Grandma knelt down, gave him a big hug and said, ‘Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window the other day and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.’

Author Unknown

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May
19
Posted by encourage

The way back home

There is a very old Japanese legend about a sacred mountain where all old people would journey to when they were near their life’s end. They would wait on the mountain top until sunrise, and then the gods would take them to heaven.

One day, an elderly mother and son set out to their journey to the mountain. She was very old and frail, so the son decided to carry her up the mountain on his back to leave her to wait for the gods. They walked all day and at sunset they arrived at the foot of the mountain. They rested for a little while and then continued on up the mountain, climbing for several hours.

While the son walked up the mountain with his old mother on his back, he noticed that she kept breaking twigs and branches off trees and bushes every minute or so, and she would throw them on the path behind them.

He asked his mother what she was doing and she replied, ‘You are a wonderful son. You have carried me far on your back to the sacred mountain and you must be very tired. I am breaking off branches to leave a trail, so that when you come back down the mountain you will know the path and not get lost. I am leaving little signs for you to return home safely.’

The son was very touched and shed a tear for his mother. Soon they reached the top of the mountain. He gently rested his mother down, bowed to her three times and bid her farewell, wishing her peace and happiness in the heavens, and leaving her to greet the gods at sunrise, then made his way back down the mountain following the trail of twigs and branches that his mother had dropped on the way up the mountain.

So it is with all mothers and also fathers, who show us the way through life. They leave us little clues to find our way home safely. They guide us through the mountains of life.

And eventually they leave us, but not without small signs to help us walk a better path.

Author Unknown

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May
18
Posted by encourage

“I’ll drop you a line”

By Bob Perks

He always joked that he’d write to me.

“I’ll drop you a line someday,” he would say and then laugh.

I needed desperately to hear from him. Perhaps he sent this message.

Some would say it was just coincidence. But if there’s one thing I don’t believe in, it’s coincidence.

I’ve thought about him often since he left. I’ve wished upon a star and

prayed upon my knees that somehow I could see him one more time.

Just to say “hello!” or even to have the chance to watch him.

Just watch him? How odd.

Yes, I never realized that I had been doing it through the years. But I did.

I know because I catch myself mimicking him. So I must have noticed the way he held his head, his smile and the way he sat. It all became a part of me. How did that happen?

Lately I’ve been seeing him, too. Oh, not really him, but reflections of him in

the face of a stranger. Then just the other day I saw his eyes when I looked at my brother. It really took my breath away, but I couldn’t say a word. I was afraid in doing so he’d go away again.

But today he left this note for me. He knew I could not visit him, although

I wanted to. So instead I found this note that said, “I appreciate what you have done for me. You are a fine son, Dad”

There it was tucked between the pages of my bible. I got that habit from my

Mom. We had this big old family Bible that was filled with mementos. Pressed flowers, burial cards, pictures and prayers cut out from magazines she read.

Although mine is not as full, it holds some things I thought were important once and having tucked them away, forgot about them until…until I needed to be reminded again.

It’s funny how these things work. Someone had sent me a note and included

a reference in the Bible. It was in that search that I found my father’s note to me.

Come to think of it I was searching for the words of my Heavenly

Father when my father in heaven dropped me a line.

“I appreciate what you have done for me. You are a fine son.”

It was great hearing from you, Pop! Thanks for writing.

Sure, that’s a coincidence.

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Mar
13
Posted by encourage

Approaching Each Day

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new job relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to go to!

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with knowledge and adventure.

Today I can dejectedly murmur because I have housework to do or I can feel grateful for shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped, and here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. And I shall decide what kind of day I shall have!

How will you live this day?

Author Unknown

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