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Reflection on encouragement

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Hi people!! Today’s post is a little bit different.

I have been noticing lately that my biggest personality trait is being supportive. I have tons of friends, acquaintances and family members who are pursuing their own business or project, and I have found myself being spurred to act with support and encouragement. I am the first person to say “go for it!!” when a friend mentions starting a scary, new pursuit. Why do I feel compelled to dive headfirst into support for a friend’s small business or a new company that I find? I have been asking myself this lately and wondering what is at the heart of my need to support others. I often find myself disappointed when the same amount of encouragement and support I offer to others is not reciprocated to me when I pursue my own project, such as this blog.

99 percent of the time I am encouraged by those who love me, but sometimes what I receive is not as strong as the support I give to others. I try to understand this is just a difference in personality, not the person’s lack of support. At times this makes me feel discouraged and sad- I always remind myself during these times that God has called me to be a peacemaker and an encourager and my relentless support of lifting others up is based in doing His work. I usually do not have a hard time just going for my dreams, but for others it may take weeks of encouragement. My goal is always to pursue those around me who need a cheerleader most.

I wanted to share some ways I find myself practicing encouragement and support to those most in need of it and how to find time to encourage myself.
1. Look for opportunities to spread the word- one of the easiest and simplest ways to support your friends’ project is sharing them through word of mouth and social media. If someone asks where to shop near campus? I mention or comment My Kind of Lovely on the post. Need a great coffee shop in Knoxville? Capybara is the place to go. Looking for a smoothie recipe? My friend Hannah has a great post.
When it comes to supporting other bloggers, I always make sure to purchase something they have recommended through their link. This gives them a small percentage of the sale so they can continue providing great content and inspiring us on instagram. These little steps can add up to a massive amount of support for all the small businesses and digital makers in our lives.

2. There is biblical truth in supporting others- John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” God chose me to support others. I firmly believe this, and I remind myself of this when I feel discouraged. He has called me to be a cheerleader, a helper, a peacemaker and an encourager. Supporting others in pursuits that will help them succeed is me actively working to build others up. Helping someone get their dream off the ground will last. This hurt you feel when someone isn’t there to cheerlead for you probably won’t last long- God is there to give us the emotional support we need.

3. Remember to give back to yourself- This is so, so important. Be your own cheerleader! If I think of something I would love to start doing, it is fairly easy for me to build up the courage to pursue it. Not everyone is like this, which makes my role so important for others. I try not to be hard on myself when I haven’t gotten a blog post up in a while. I also encourage myself to get good, consistent content out into the world when I really feel like watching Netflix. I wrote this post about embracing your weird hobbies last year, and I think it’s a great reminder of being your own support system.
4. Have cheerleaders in your corner- We all need some validation. While I believe every single friend in your life can’t realistically be a source of encouragement 24/7, you do need to find a select few people to be your cheerleader. It couldn’t hurt. My cheerleaders are my mom and dad, my fiance Preston and my friend Ciara. No matter what crazy idea I come up with, they will support me to the end. The number of times my mom and dad have driven all over the place to help me with a project blows me away. Preston knows exactly what to say and do to support me and exactly how to let me down easily when I am not doing the right thing. Ciara always supports my vision- she can see exactly the picture I am trying to paint and how to help me accomplish it.
Having cheerleaders in your life couldn’t be more important. Being a cheerleader to the best of your ability can do incredible things. For those of us who God has called to lift others up, keep feeding your sweet spirit with the pursuit of encouraging those around us. We can do this, people!

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