Debits vs. Credits…

“Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize.”

Elizabeth Harrison

The energy you expend can either be a debit or a credit to those around you. You get to make that choice. You get to decide if you are going to be a person that encourages and intentionally seeks out the positive in others and in life.

Those who choose to be additive to others and focus on lifting the world up are those who create the world that should be. They aren’t content with the world that is and they realize that success is determined not by how much gets done, but by how many people they take with them along the way…

Be a somebody…

“Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.”

Robby Novak

Life is busy. It is easy at times to get caught up in our own worries, fears, challenges, opportunities and forget that we aren’t here on this earth for ourselves. Not one of us was created to be a person that only cares about themselves. We were all created to help and serve others with our own unique and special gifts and talents.

Helping others doesn’t mean that you have to sell everything you own and move to a third world country. (Though if you feel that is your calling then do it!) Sometimes it is the simplest things that can mean so much. A smile, eye contact, remembering someones name. A hand-written thank you card. There are a million ways to make another person feel special for a moment. But you have to seek them out, and you have to do them. What’s really amazing is that when you do, you feel like a somebody…

Encourage change…

“A word of encouragement from a teacher to a child can change a life. A word of encouragement from a spouse can save a marriage. A word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach her potential.”

John C. Maxwell

Sometimes it is the simplest things at just the right moments that make all the difference in the world. I still have a handwritten note that I received over 20 years ago from the SVP who was responsible for the division I worked in. The fact that he took the time to notice and acknowledge me made all the difference in the world to a very green and naive leader who was learning what real leadership was all about. That note has stayed with me for many moves and transitions and is one that I treasure not for what it says but for what it represents. True appreciation and encouragement from one human being to another expressed in a manner that was genuine and humble. That one simple thing has had a profound impact on me and my life.

I am sure that all of us have those great “encouragement moments” that created a marked impact on our lives. But what if they weren’t there? What if instead of encouragement we had received negative reinforcement or worst yet, nothing at all? The world would be a very different place.

We are all going to fail multiple times in our lives. Heck, we are going to fail daily if we are truly trying hard enough. Sometimes all we need is one person who recognizes not who we are today, but who we have to potential to become and helps us to see that potential. That is what I received 20+ years ago via a simple handwritten note.

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dusty

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