Discouraged Lately? Be an Encouragement.

Ever been discouraged?

There are a lot of things that can cause us to be discouraged. But did you ever stop to think about what that really means? Is it a feeling? Is it a decision?

This weekend I was presented with the opportunity to be discouraged. Late Saturday night (read: early Sunday morning) I was tossing and turning in bed, trying to find that sweet spot of comfort where everything felt just the right temperature and I could go to sleep confident I wouldn't wake up 2 hours later too hot or too cold or with two arms that were still asleep.

And then it dawned on me that often times when we are discouraged it is because we choose to let ourselves feel that way. Nobody forces us to. And then I got to thinking, what if I were to choose not to be discouraged whenever I feel let down? What if I simply do not give my mind permission to feel discouraged? Would it help? Would it make things any better?

Maybe.

But that's like saying, "When I'm mad, I'll just tell myself not to be."

I quickly came to the realization that it's not that simple. We are all discouraged at different times throughout our life and for lots of different reasons. Sometimes it's a big discouragement, sometimes it's a little one, and other times in between.

This weekend I was discouraged. But what helped me the most was someone who provided encouragement. That's it. Nothing fluffy, just genuine.

So tonight as I sit here at the computer I thought, what if every time I was discouraged I tried to think of someone to encourage? What if we all did that? It certainly won't keep us from being discouraged in the future, but it sure can help during the times we are.

Been discouraged lately?

Be an encouragement.