The Power of

Encouragement by WARREN BIRD, RECREATION DIRECTOR, GARLAND PARKS, RECREATION & CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT

In past articles, I've written about your vision and dreams being vital to having a productive andmeaningful life. Having an optimistic attitude helps you to stay focused on achieving your vision. The fuel that powers the optimism engine to stay on target to achieving your vision is e11co1trageme11t. Encouragement helps you focus energy on what is important in life and not the challenges you will face. Another unique aspect of encouragement is that it typically comes from other people. Encouragement is the gift that truly keeps on giving.

Encouragement from other people has helped

change the wor'd by giving leaders, inventors,

ph'losophers, artists, musicians, soldiers, and

everyday schmoes like you and me the moti·

vation to power through trials and tribulations.

Encouragement helps people stay focused

on their dreams or refocus on their dreams if

they are about to give up. Achieving dreams,

no maner how big or small, is what keeps our

society moving forward. How important, then,

is it to spread encouragement?

Encouragement multiplies through use. People

learn to be encouragers by being encouraged

themselves. It's the "pay it forward" principle in

its simplest form. How many stories can you

think of in which people were just about to give

up on what would become something big,

only to be encouraged by others to continue?

Have you ever been encouraged by other

members of your work team, family members

or friends? How did it make you feel? It prob­

ably gave you confidence and motivation to

continue with your project. It may also have

strengthened your relationship with others -

namely, the encourager. It might have even

helped you to continue chasing your dream.

Case in point, a few days ago, I was at a doc·

tor's office gening a checkup and met Pany, a

recent high school graduate who was working

her last day of a summer job assisting patients.

I'm usually looking for ways to encourage

others and found out that Pany's dream is to

be a nurse, but she had many obstacles to

gening her RN. My sister is a nurse, and I know

several friends who are nurses and they aren't

so excited about their jobs. But I don't want to

28 TEXAS RECREATION AND PARK SOCIETY*

steal Patty's dream of being a nurse, so I tell her

how my sister and friends overcame financial

and personal hardships to become nurses. I

helped her work out a simple game plan to

become an RN. I also encouraged her to look at

our website for pan-time Jobs to help her earn

money to pay for education (I'm always look·

ing for sharp peop e to work in our faci'ifes). In

short, I encouraged Pany to achieve her dream.

I I probably never know if that short conver·

sation had any influence on Pany, but I do

bel'eve that encouraging people will help at

least one person achieve more in his or her life.

How about you? Are you an encourager? Quite

frankly, encouragement doesn't come natu·

rally for me. I have to condition myself to be

an encourager. Practice makes perfect, and

it helps to have a sincere desire for others to

succeed. Unfortunately. most people seem to

prefer to be sarcastic rather than encourag·

ing. I recently read a Fortune magazine* article

on sarcasm in the workplace co-written by

a Columbia University professor. The article

stated that sarcasm intended to be negative

can often produce resentment, anger and frus·

tration in those receiving it. Negative sarcasm

can also be a breeding ground for conflict and

was an important cause of poor performance.

Sarcasm is a great way to be humorous and

"fit in" but usually at the expense of others'

well-being. Even when people recognize the

humor in sarcasm, they can still feel resent·

ment and seethe with frustration. It's quite easy

to be sarcastic, and I personally struggle with

it. Sarcasm is self-focused, while encourage·

ment focuses on others. Whether intended or

not. sarcasm typically downgrades others and

is a sting that often lingers. Encouragement

empowers others and promotes high perfor·

mance and strong relationships.

I encourage you to focus on being an encour·

ager with co-workers, family members and

friends. I think you will find that being an

encourager improves your personal well·

being and helps others be more successful in

their work, relationships and personal activi·

ties. Encouragement is an important factor to

develop a work environment where everyone

is producing at his or her highest level. For

those of us in the qual ty-of· ife industry, that's

a great place to be! *

• That time your boss caught you watching cat v1d·eos and said, 'don't work roo hard,' by Adam Galm·sky, LI Huang, Francesca Gino - Fortune Insider,

August 10, 2015