Words of Encouragement

As was his daily ritual, a man opened his front door to walk out to the driveway to get his morning newspaper. He was surprised to see strange, little dog on the porch, his tail wagging, the man’s newspaper in his mouth. 

Appreciative of this unexpected “delivery service,” the man stopped down, petted the dog behind the ears, and told him he was “good dog.” He gave the dog some treats from the fridge and sent him on his way.

The following morning, the man opened the door to find the same dog sitting on the stoop, tail wagging, surrounded by about a dozen newspapers.

He spent rest of that morning returning the papers to his neighbors.

A little encouragement goes a long way. We know from being on the receiving end that a compliment, an affirmation, or well-timed words of praise can put a spring in a person's step and hope in their heart. We have no idea to what extent our kind words can impact those around us. Perhaps, we should resolve to be a bit freer with phrases like:

• good job
  
• I appreciate you
  
• you can do it
  
• you mean a lot to me
  
• I'm expecting great things from you.
  

It could be that the only thing that stands between a person and the accomplishment of their goals is your encouragement.

Praise as many people as you can today. You will be blessed as much as them.

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