Good job! Way to go! That was a great catch! Wow, you can run fast! I can tell you’ve been practicing! You sounded great! You played beautifully! I loved your character! You rode that horse really well! It’s summer and the kids are participating in their chosen (or chosen for them) activities. While it can be fun and challenging, the element that may make it a lifelong endeavor is the encouragement and support they receive. When coaches, parents, and others cheer the youth while noting efforts and contributions that the youth have made, it makes a world of difference in how they perceive the experience.
Who knows what each youth might excel in. In baseball, football, volleyball, track, or a band of musicians, theater actor or lighting technician, artist, chef, plumber, carpenter, electrician, auto mechanic or auto body technician. (One of the things I loved about the Boy Scouts was the merit badge books that taught a little bit about many different hobbies and professions. It whets their appetite a little bit.) There are 4-H groups (as a kid I enrolled in cooking, horsemanship; raising chickens, turkeys, pigs, and dairy cows.) that may be the door to a life long passion. Whatever their ‘thing’ may be, I’m sure that encouragement will help them through the learning and growth that comes attached.”
Here are some quotes about encouragement:
You should show encouragement whenever you can. People try harder when they know that someone cares about them. — Stephanie Perkins
You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life. — Zig Ziglar
Abilities wither under criticism; they blossom under encouragement. — Dale Carnegie
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. — Leo Buscaglia
Let us encourage, support and cheer the youth of today in their efforts to find what it is that they truly love to do, or what they have a talent or knack for. But don’t stop there,… along with our youth, there are plenty of adults that could use a kind word of encouragement. Someone might be having a tough day. Perhaps you have a stellar waiter/waitress that you appreciate and you leave an encouraging note and tip. Or maybe you have a waiter/waitress that is struggling to meet the demands of the customers, perhaps they too could use a note of encouragement, “You’re having a tough night, I’ve been there. You’ll have better days. Here’s a $___ tip for sticking with it.”
I love to see someone doing what it seems they were born to do. I go to a small restaurant that my wife and I enjoy. The food is great in my opinion. The chef has a lot of things he is juggling in the back. So, watching him in his element is pretty inspiring. Often, I buy desserts and some extras, and I tell the chef how much I appreciate the food and the business. I really want to encourage him in his work because I want to visit that business for a long time to come.
That goes for the talents of others in the community also; local bands, and local theaters are often inspiring and/or nurturing others in the community who have talents or skills. There are art, dance, culinary, and welding classes… and many more engaging activities! Encouraging adults in our community is also important.
Keeping it simple, it is important to encourage the people in your community. Yeah, one may be the next Taylor Swift, or Gordon Ramsey, but more importantly your community deserves to be better because you encourage and support them.
By William Boardman
