Author | April Breedlove |
Encouragement is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.” Think about a time when someone encouraged you. Maybe you received a bad grade or you were dealing with a tough life situation, or you needed encouragement to step outside of your comfort zone to try something new. No matter the reason for which you were being uplifted, we can all agree that encouragement is very important. It helps us through the tough times, gives us the ability to persevere, and even has the power to save lives.
Oftentimes, we are oblivious to the people that need encouragement the most. Some of these people walk around every day smiling from ear to ear, radiating glee and appearing to treat every moment with a certain joy. They may seem like they have perfect lives, but the reality is, many of them do need encouragement from others for various things. I’m not saying that everyone who appears to be happy is wearing a facade, but what I am saying is that it is incredibly easy to overlook an important need for encouragement. Maybe this person in need is your best friend. Maybe they are your sister or your brother. Or maybe, it’s you.
Maybe there is something that is going on in your own life that you are afraid to share with someone else. If this rings true to you personally, I strongly urge you to find someone that you trust and talk to them about what you’re going through. Sometimes, just talking about whatever is plaguing your heart and getting it off of your chest will make you feel 10x better. Furthermore, the encouragement that you receive from that person really has the power to make a difference in your life---- for the better. This encouragement won’t alter your circumstances, but it can change your attitude toward those circumstances. Having a good attitude about your situation will make it a lot easier to get to the finish line.
“Surround yourself with good people; surround yourself with positivity and people who are going to challenge you to make you better.”
-Ali Krieger
Why is it so important to encourage others? Well, the answer is simple. Because the Bible instructs us to do so. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT) says, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” God instructs us to be uplifting to the people around us. But for many of us, sitting down and talking one-on-one with someone in an effort to lift their spirits is outside of our comfort zone for various reasons---being shy, or maybe being afraid of the other person’s response. However, this is not a bad thing at all because having a conversation isn’t the only way to make someone’s day brighter. There are countless other ways to uplift your peers. Here are just 9.
9 Easy Ways to Be Encouraging to Others
Compliment someone’s outfit, hair, makeup, shoes, etc.
Wish someone a good day
Smile at another student as you pass them by in the halls of Scholars Guild
Pray with someone
Write someone a note
Give your friend a hug
Tell a funny joke
Buy your friend their favorite candy
Draw a picture for someone
“Be an encourager. Scatter sunshine. Who knows whose life you might touch with something as simple as a kind word.”
― Debbie Macomber
If you are someone who may be afraid to step outside of your box (see what I did there?) and be encouraging, then I urge you to try at least one of these methods next time you interact with a friend, your sibling, or anyone else in your life. We never know how big of an impact our kindness can have on someone else. Our words and actions have the power to resonate within someone long after the in-person interaction has ended.
Being encouraging isn’t as hard or daunting as it may sometimes seem. I can be as easy as smiling, giving a compliment, or drawing a Happy Box for your friend. A Happy Box is a simple drawing that I created that can easily be given to someone in need of a little cheer. Here is how to draw a Happy Box.
Happy Box Drawing Tutorial
Step 1:
Draw a square.
Step 2:
Draw another square of the same size so that its top left corner is in the center of the first square.
Step 3:
Connect each corner with a line in order to make a cube.
Step 4:
Erase the two small line segments at the top right and bottom left.
Step 5:
Draw a smiling face inside of the smallest box in the center of the drawing.
Step 6:
Color all four of the other panels and leave the smallest square in the center blank.
Step 7:
Give it to a friend to brighten their day!
I have given countless Happy Boxes to numerous friends, and I can say that the boxes have never failed to bring smiles to their faces! So give this tutorial a try, and hopefully, you too can brighten someone else’s day. Remember, a need for encouragement isn’t always obvious, so make sure you pay attention to the people around you so that you will know when the time is right to be a light in another person’s life.
“For me, life is about being positive and hopeful, choosing to be joyful, choosing to be encouraging, choosing to be empowering.”
-Billy Porter