Five Ways to Be More Encouraging


We all need encouragement. Even the most callous, hard headed self made person needs encouragement to stay on track and move forward. This isn't news - it is something we all know.

Unfortunately many times we don't take action on what we know.

We can change our habits about encouragement - we can choose to become a more encouraging person. This will have a positive impact on our results and satisfaction in a variety of roles we play in life - from leader to co-worker to team member to parent to family member.

Below are five specific ways that you can become more encouraging starting as soon as you finish reading this article.

Encourage with your eyes. Don't underestimate the importance and value of solid eye contact. Think about the people you know who always seem to make good eye contact with you. How do you feel about them? Do you feel that they support and believe in you? Do they seem to care more? This is a glimpse at how powerful good solid eye contact can be. Perhaps these people haven't said anything to give you encouragement, but their presence and eye contact show you anyway. Use your eyes to be encouraging - make eye contact with people.

Encourage with your face. This is perhaps the easiest of all. Smile. A smile is a powerful encourager. It tells people that they are ok. It tells people that what they are doing is ok. For some people smiling comes naturally while others need to be more conscious to smile. You know which you are. Either way there are probably more opportunities and more situations where you can flash your pearly whites. Smile. You will be encouraging when you do and you will feel better yourself.

Encourage with your lips. Of course we can say encouraging things. In fact, when you started reading this list, I'll bet you expected the whole list to be things to say or situations in which to say them. We all know how to be encouraging with our words. So do it. Be supportive. Give people specific comments and encouragement on who they are and what they are doing. Let them know that they matter. Let them know how their work adds value. Encourage with your lips.

Encourage with your feet. Encouragement can come in the form of being there. Sit in on the meeting someone asks you to attend, even if you know they can handle it. Go to the ball game. Your presence and attention can be powerful encouragers and motivators. Be aware that your actions in themselves can be encouraging, so act accordingly. First you must be there, and then you must behave in encouraging ways.

Encourage with your head. If all you see is what people are doing wrong, it is hard to be encouraging. The biggest barrier some of us have to overcome to become more encouraging is in our head - we aren't looking for and therefore seeing the right things. We must focus on and look for the positive things. Look for the good. Then use your feet, lips,Y face and eyes to communicate those encouraging messages.

Ok, it is your turn.

Get up from your chair now. Pick one of these approaches and practice it right now.

Write these five things down on an index card and carry it with you for the next three weeks. Refer to the card often as a reminder to continue to use these approaches to becoming more encouraging.

You will be amazed at the new results you will see in those around you and in your life as well. ou can do it - you can make this choice.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on "Unleashing Your Potential" go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

MORE RESOURCES:
RELATED ARTICLES
A Negative Experience an Opportunity?
Early in my career a position became available which I thought I was entitled to. I had the experience and a good performance record.
Transform Your Behavior Painlessly by Using the 5-Minute Success Strategy
Recently, I coached a young woman whom I'll call Mary about how to make critical lifestyle changes. Mary had always struggled with her weight.
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
I was always somebody who felt quite sorry for myself, what I had not got compared to my friends, how much of a struggle my life seemed to be compared to others. I was caught up in a web of negativity and needed someone or something to help me to escape.
The Use of Affirmations
What is an affirmation? One possible definition is a specific positive thought that you create in response to a current need or goal. We need to continue repeating the affirmation until it becomes a part of us, and we find ourselves believing it.
Positive Attitude is Not Enough
Contrary to the popular saying "attitude is everything" attittude is not enough. You can have the right attitude and all the motivation in the world and still wind up playing "dead atheist.
Thinking Your Way To Success: Materializing Your Goals Through The Power of Thought
THOUGHTS are powerful. The power of THOUGHTS cannot be underestimated.
Then My Boss Said, Take That Fear And Shove It!
Hey gang; Ok it's time to create some good habits. You know, like eating a pork barrel full of Ben and Jerry's ice cream at 3 am in the morning.
How To Live A Life Of No Problems
For most of us our lives are a problem which have to be solved. Everyday we wake up under the burden of new challenges facing us.
Fear -- Feel It and Keep Moving
Many of us allow our fear to stop us in our tracks. All it takes is a less than encouraging word, a negative facial expression, or a less than positive opinion, and we give up before we even get started.
Your Dominant Thoughts - How to Take Advantage of Them
Self belief is a wonderful thing.I know from my own life experiences that whenever I have been filled with dread or doubt I am unable to perform at a satisfactory level.
Important Days Ahead
Humans tend to categorize things by large or small, bright or dull, special or ordinary, and so on. We like to bring order and structure, but sometimes our efforts to place things into neat little slots can blind us to the little moments of joy we could be experiencing every day.
Start Your Day on Your Terms
Most of us start the day like we're trying to catch a train. We wake up, grab a cup of coffee, look at the paper and listen to the news.
Choose Wisely
During these times of uncertainty in the outside world, look inside your self. Are you feeling uncertain? Are there new energies happening in your life? Are there new feelings and paths of direction to choose from? Have you been listening to your inner sense of self?Each time we undergo uncertainty in the outer world, like our neighborhood, our society, our nation or our planet, there is a reflection that is being expressed from inside.
Ditch Lack of Confidence and Unlock Full Potential
Being the next Carmen Electra or Paris Hilton might or might not appeal to all you, but there are things that do appeal to you, and you don't do them.Maybe this is because you lacked the confidence to reach out for it or maybe this is because you just we're not sure it was right for you.
Making Conflict Productive
Conflict is unavoidable. How we respond to it makes a difference in its outcome.
How to Have a Life of Satisfaction - Guaranteed!
Satisfaction 100% guaranteed or your money back! That was the promise, so you bought the product. You've been there! You ended up not liking it and decided to send it back.
Self-Opinions---Can Limit Our Lives
Dr. Phil says each of us has a personal "truth" -what we believe of ourselves when no one else is looking-- and from this comes results in our lives that are in keeping with that truth.
Creating an Emotional Retreat
Emotions have the tendency to take over our actions and reactions, despite the fact we prefer to claim otherwise. Society often sees emotions as a sign of weakness, so we became used to putting them away and try to focus on the logical aspects more and more.
Developing Self-Esteem
It would be pretty hard to become successful without first developing your self-esteem. In fact, I can't think of one person who is very successful who has low self-esteem.
Dump Those Negative Tapes
Every time something doesn't go quite right (rather frequently for some of us), we start berating ourselves. We can be the soul of courtesy and forgiveness to those we care about and then turn and savage ourselves in the most brutal fashion.