After a good, long stretch of consistent speaking engagements for many months things have gotten quiet.
From what I understand, this is not unusual in this business during the summer.
All that being said, it can get discouraging when the phone doesn’t ring, people don’t return your calls, and you have a lot of open dates on your calendar in the summer.
The open calendar can then lead to thoughts that aren’t very good for morale.
Thoughts like:
Your message is wearing thin.
People don’t really want to hear what you have to say.
It was a good run but now it’s over.
It’s that negative self-talk that I speak about and write about as well.
But then out of nowhere it happens.
Someone took the time recently to write me a little note of encouragement. It probably took less than two minutes to do what this person did.
Likely, he has no idea how much his words meant to me.
In his three or four lines he told me my work was important and that I was making a difference in the lives of others.
Wow! What a lift. What a boost. What a difference those few words made for me.
Encouragement is something of which we can never get enough.
It doesn’t take much. A quick note or an e-mail or a text. A phone call or a simple pat on the shoulder with some uplifting words may have a greater impact than you could ever imagine.
Also, encouragement doesn’t have to be just for those people you know. How about the custodian in the airport or the business office or a word of encouragement to the cashier in the grocery store or in the drive through of the fast food restaurant?
I’d love to hear your stories of when someone unexpectedly encouraged you when you really needed it.
Do you have the courage to encourage someone today?
Who will you encourage today?
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!
