Pearls of Encouragement

We’ve heard of “Pearls of Wisdom,” what about “Pearls of Encouragement?”

This would be phrases or “tidbits” we’ve heard from others that keep us going in difficult times.

What do people do with pearls? They keep them in a safe place and treasure them. I’m suggesting we do the same with positive feedback people have given us; keep them in a safe place and know where they are so we can retrieve them when necessary.

Here are examples of mine:

“You’re a good man, Shawn.”

“You’re a talented man, Shawn”

“The only thing I have to say about you, is you often sell yourself short”

“Man, you must be successful at anything you do!”

The second and third ones are the most interesting due to the circumstances they sprung from. The second phrase is one of the compliments I treasure the most, because it came from a boss that was extremely tough to please, yet in spite of his ultra-criticism, he saw my capabilities. The fourth one is also important because it came from a highly respected mentor.

Which brings me to my last point. Although many suffer from over-confidence that needs to be broken, some of us truly need to shore up our understanding of how truly good we are. Not from a position of conceit, but from the standpoint of having a good grasp on what we are good it…knowing our strengths and weaknesses. There is nothing wrong with being secure in our strengths.

For this, I recommend asking those who observe us (not just loved ones) where we are strong. We should actually SEEK PEARLS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. Then, we will have more to keep in a safe place, and more reserve for those difficult times.