1. The Power of
EncouragementbyWARREN 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 and
meaningful 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.
Encouragementfrom otherpeople 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 throughuse. 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 whichpeoplewerejustaboutto 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 summerjob 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
geningher RN. My sister is a nurse, and I know
several friends who are nurses and they aren't
so excited about theirjobs. But I don't want to
28 TEXASRECREATIONAND 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
becomean RN. Ialso encouraged her to look at
our website for pan-timeJobs 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 toachieve 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 anencourager? 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·
mentand seethewith 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 caughtyou watching cat v1d·
eos and said, 'don't work roo hard,'by Adam Galm·
sky, LI Huang, Francesca Gino - Fortune Insider,
August 10, 2015