2 of 6

Write now Article Tools

Many times people feel dissatisfied because they don't feel appreciated by others. That's understandable. Of course we all long to be valued by others. But if our happiness depends on the encouragement of others, we may at times find ourselves being needlessly discouraged.
The solution is to encourage yourself!

Here are some ways to do just that.

1. List small aspects of big blessings.

When encouraging yourself, it's great to start off with the well-known and obvious things such as family, friends, your home, and so on. But once you've listed those things, try to be more specific. For instance, if you're thankful for your family, one by one list the members of your family and then write a detailed listing of all of the ways you are thankful for that specific family member. The same can be true for the other biggies. For instance, if you are thankful for your home (and you should be, even if it is humble!), list the specifics about what you appreciate about your home. Think through every aspect of your home, and one by one, list what you are thankful for. Doing this in a detailed manner helps me to think of the benefits that I would normally overlook. For instance, I may think of my shower, and be thankful for good water pressure, for hot water, etc. Are those little things? Yes, and no! They are things you take for granted, and yet would certainly miss if you didn't have them! I've found it helpful to focus on one small aspect of the various big things in my life each day and list absolutely everything I can think that will encourage me.

2. Make a list of your talents.

We often focus on what we're not good at, or ways we fail or wish we are different. But we all have various gifts and abilities. Focusing on those things can provide a great deal of encouragement. Nothing is too small to list! Or, as in the case above, start with something big, and then list absolutely everything you can think of that comes under that particular category. For instance, I love to write, and think I have a reasonable amount of gifting in that area. Whereas I could just list "writing" under my list of gifts, I can also list the ways the specific things about my writing ability that I appreciate, such as the ability to type fast, the way my words have impacted and encouraged others, the income that results from my writing, and so on. Generally speaking, every talent that I have includes multiple "sub talents." Be specific!

3. Remember the past.

Sometimes it is important to forget and let

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about How to encourage yourself?
We want to hear your view. Write now!