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What Role Does Encouragement Play in Your Life?

by Evelyn B.
17 replies
I was thinking about how good it makes me feel when someone encourages me, offers a kind word, or compliments my work. That old quote from Mark Twain comes to mind, "I can live for two months on one good compliment."

But then that ubiquitous sage, Anonymous wisely said, "Lean too much upon the approval of people, and it becomes a bed of thorns."

What do you think? Does encouragement fuel your progress, or do you think its better to just plow ahead on your own without the need for outside approval?
#encouragement #life #play #role
  • Profile picture of the author trytolearnmore
    I don't know, encouragement is good, but since i'm living in a country where IM is equated to spam there is hard to get any help
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
    I think encouragement is priceless! I give it in spades and I like when it's poured onto me. Good point.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rohm
      Encouragement can be achieved by constructive criticism.

      The format for constructive critism is like a sandwich:

      1. point out what the person's main strength(s) is/are
      2. Then, say something like this:

      "Here are some ideas to help you dramatically increase your IM sales."

      3. End with a quick summary of:

      a.person's strength/s (see #1)
      b.areas for improvement (see #2)

      To save time, many people go right ahead to step #2 and phrase it critically, like:

      "Your copy writing is sub-par and you need a lot of work."

      On the other hand, if you point out ONLY the person's strength(s), you are NOT helping the person to improve. We do this sometimes to not offend the person.

      When offering suggestions to improve- and not offend the other person-couch the areas for improvement in constructive verbiage (see #2 example above).
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      • Profile picture of the author Evelyn B.
        Rohm,
        I love the imagery of formatting your encouragement like a sandwich. I am a member of Toastmasters International, and they teach a similar concept when you are evaluating a fellow member's speech.

        You start by praising the things you enjoyed, then you offer suggestions for how they can improve their performance, and then you end with more encouragement and praise.

        Good stuff!
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  • Profile picture of the author dee4d
    Encouragement gives me the strength to go on, especially in IM where you need a lot of hardwork and patience. And like Rohm noted, it provides a forum for sharing and exchanging ideas and experiences. This is a positive way for putting a smile on someone else' face. And I believe when you encourage someone, you get much more in return.
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  • Profile picture of the author printingray
    great stuff like the post.thanks for sharing this post with us
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Encouragement and positive reinforcement are essential. Give as much as you can because you just never know when it will really make a difference in someone's life.
    It's like the old saying..
    If you don't have something nice to say, shut up!
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    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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    • Profile picture of the author Evelyn B.
      Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

      Encouragement and positive reinforcement are essential. Give as much as you can because you just never know when it will really make a difference in someone's life.
      It's like the old saying..
      If you don't have something nice to say, shut up!
      Laurence, or you could be cheeky like my grandma, who says, "If you can't say something nice, come sit by me." ;-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
    Banned
    I don't need encouragement or approval. However it's nice when it happens. : ) I do my best to make people happy in my day-to-day interactions.
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    "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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  • Profile picture of the author Tuffy22
    At the end of the day, it's more about appreciation than approval. It's rewarding when your efforts make an impact...and right or wrong...it's even more motivating when that impact is acknowledged by others.
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  • Profile picture of the author janicelou
    Compliments are great! Thing is... the "real" ones only come when you do a great job! With that in mind you better make sure you do a great job

    One thing that has helped me is learning to compliment myself! You see, others only tend to notice when you accomplish something big... when the project is finished, when you get a big paycheck.. etc. etc.

    That can kinda "suck" if you have to work for three months to complete the final project! because for three months no one notices you exist!!! To compensate this I compliment and reward myself for every small achievement.


    I set a small goal for my morning work period compliment/reward myself when that is complete with a fantastic lunch! It can be that easy!!
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  • Profile picture of the author carmenfairman
    Banned
    I was thinking about how good it makes me feel when someone encourages me, offers a kind word, or compliments my work...............
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  • Profile picture of the author krtinberg
    I think appreciation and complements can go a long way in motivating people just starting out. It's easy to get discouraged early on when things are tough. Having that positive reinforcement can lift your spirit up and propel you forward.
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  • Profile picture of the author Will Edwards
    Encouragement is what I do.

    It is my life purpose to encourage others.

    Will
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  • Profile picture of the author Debra Barrow
    Ironically, encouragement can come from surprising places. Those who you think should be encouraging are not. I recently received positive remarks from someone whom I least expected. You never know who is in your cheering section.

    I also like to surprise people with compliments, because I know they are not expecting it; furthermore, they may not feel they deserve it.
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  • Profile picture of the author aylwarddarci
    As you become more independent, your peers naturally play a greater role in ... Sometimes, though, the stresses in your life can actually come from your peers. ...
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  • Profile picture of the author Spinna
    If you spend you time with people who think like you do, people who inspire you, people who love you and people you don't have to impress, you will stay encouraged.. naturally.
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