Be an Encourager
Compassion and Well-Being
Reflection By Scott Stoner
Be an encourager. The world has enough critics already.
- Dave Willis
l Iive in Wisconsin, and one of my favorite rites of spring is getting my bike out and ready for the first outdoor ride of the season. One of the first things I need to do is pump up the tires because most of the air leaks out of them over our long winters.
Have you ever tried to ride a bike with an under-inflated or even a flat tire? If so, you know how hard and bumpy the ride can be and how much effort it takes to get it to move. I think of this as a metaphor for the importance of compassion and encouragement, both for others and for ourselves.
To make our travels through life a bit less challenging, all of us can use a little air in our tires, a little extra encouragement, from time to time. Just as the air slowly leaks out of bike tires over a long winter, life itself can deflate us over time and our self-esteem and sense of well-being may suffer. When this happens, expressions of compassion and encouragement, for ourselves and others, can go a long way toward pumping up our emotional “tires.”
Be an encourager. The first three words in the quote above by Dave Willis are so simple that it can be easy to miss their power. Offering encouraging words to your child, partner, friend, colleague, family member, or even to a stranger, is so simple, yet we often can see the positive effects immediately. It’s that easy and that powerful. Our compassion and encouragement might be just the air someone needs to lift them up and make their ride just a little smoother and more manageable. And remember, it is nice to share this same generosity of spirit with oneself.
Making it Personal: How could you be more accepting and encouraging of yourself? Think of something specific. Is there someone in your life who could also use some encouragement right now? Again, think of something specific you could do or say.