Kind words go a long way

I have often wondered why it is harder to say something kind than something cruel, why it takes effort on our part to praise when it is so effortless to criticize? Even when we really feel compelled, it is easier to set compliments aside or allow ourselves to become distracted and never tell someone how proud we are of them or that we see the good they are accomplishing. Yet, when we are upset with someone it is hard to hold the words of frustration in and keep them to ourselves.

One kind acknowledgement from a person we respect can erase many of the negatives we might feel about ourselves. One person who lets us know he believes in us can set us on the right path. We want to believe in ourselves, but sometimes we need to see that others see the same potential in us that we see in ourselves. We can all remember when a parent or teacher praised us when we were younger. It motivated us. It strengthened our abilities, and made us work harder while it all seemed easier. That benefit doesn’t go away simply because we are adults.

 It is the little unexpected words of encouragement that can help get us where we want to go in life. Ideas and dreams that are important to us make us self-conscious, and we can easily become deterred by criticism from ourselves or from others.

We all know people who have done or said something to reassure us when we needed encouragement. Those who believe in us and encourage us are the ones we want to surround ourselves with. They are the ones who help us become better people. Throughout our lives we are blessed if we have people who tell us what we are doing right and help us to do better. Being complimented is like receiving an unexpected gift.

The words we choose have a great impact on other’s lives. We can wait for the right moment to present itself, or we can make the moment we have in front of us work. We should say what we think when it could make another’s life better, happier and more meaningful. What if we hold back our encouragement? Will we wonder how we might have affected the people around us? A few people give compliments naturally and others have a hard time with it. If we are the people who have a hard time, it probably means more to the people around us when we do encourage them. It would be great if we all were strong willed enough that we didn’t care what anyone else said, but that isn’t the case. We need friends and family to tell us when we do well.

It’s easy to say Michael Jordan is good at basketball now or that Martin Luther King Jr. was inspiring, but who told them before they succeeded, amidst the obstacles and the turmoil, that they could succeed, that their lives were built for something important, that the dreams they dreamt would be fulfilled?

Encouragement can come from the faintest praise. We must be motivated to succeed. A few words can encourage the unsure, lift the depressed or change the course of a life. We need to show people we believe in them. In our country where big dreams are possible, confidence still must be strengthened. Each of us has the ability to encourage others in the direction of their dreams.

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