September 12 is the Day of Encouragement. I had no idea. The Day of Encouragement was established nationally 2007 by President Bush. The day following September 11, seems to be fitting to have a day dedicating to encourage one another and frankly starting with ourselves.
I am big believer that everything needs to start with you. You need to eat right. You need to make your bed. You need to establish rules for you life before you can ask others to adhere to those rules.
With all that has happened this year and yet to happen thanks to it being an election year, I thought it would be fitting to encourage us to do the following:
I encourage us to be patient.
There are many people who are challenge my patience. Folks who see everything as racist – challenge my patience. Folks who believe WHITE FRAGILITY / BROWN FRAGILITY is “real” – challenge my patience. Folks who see white males as being evil – challenge my patience. Folks who believe how blacks were poorly treated for hundreds of years is now appropriate to treat everyone else that way today – challenge my patience. So, I need to show love by being patient.
I encourage us to be kind.
Ever since I knew my life may be shortened by THE VID, I have done what I can to be even more kind. “Begin with the end in mind” is one of my favorite Stephen Covey HABITS. Therefore, I am being even more intentional in my habit of being kind. Someone needs a hand? I am there. I will never be kind enough. So, I need to show love and encouragement by being kind.
I encourage us to be polite.
Saying “please” or “thank you” or even “may I” is so passe nowadays. However, when you use those words, people smile and appreciate your politeness. Hold the door open for someone. Allow someone to go first. So, I need to show love and encouragement by being polite.
I encourage us to be satisfied / content.
I want to be careful with this “encouragement” as to not be apathetic or allow a bad situation to exist. Do not be “Eeyore.” Yet, find that sense of “I am happy with where I am at and I don’t need those “things.” There is something bad about being envious / jealous. If you want something more, than work for it. Yet, be careful as to not allow possessions bring you satisfaction or contentment. So, I need to show love and encouragement by being satisfied / content.
I encourage all of us to respect ourselves and others.
There seems to be a lot of folks who do not understand how we treat others is a reflection of how we treat ourselves! Breaking windows says a lot about your lack of respect for others and you! How does that show respect for you? So, I need to show love and encouragement by showing respect for me and others.
I encourage all of us to be responsible for our choices.
As difficult as it is, stop blaming your circumstances for your choices. Stop blaming how you feel for you choices. Stop blaming your skin color or gender for your choices. Actions lead to feelings. Well, that was the way for many centuries in the Western Hemisphere. Now, it seems to be the opposite. How we feel allows us to destroy businesses. How we feel allows us to hurt strangers. Not healthy. So, I need to show love and encouragement by accepting responsibility for my actions and choices.
Bottom line … I encourage all of us to show more and be more LOVE. Make LOVE the verb it truly is. LOVE has never been needed more in the United States of America than now!
- As patrons sit at a restaurant, how does yelling at those patrons because of their skin color show love? Answer: It doesn’t.
- How does hating police officers / dehumanizing police officers show love? Answer: It doesn’t.
- How does disrupting the nuclear family show love? Answer: it doesn’t.
- How does hitting a person / spitting at a person / shooting a person because of their gender or gender identity or race show love? Answer: it doesn’t.
- How does hating President Trump or Vice President Biden or those who support either man show love? Answer: it doesn’t.
- How does attempting to burn a government building down with government workers in the building show love? Answer: it doesn’t
As corny as it is … LOVE is all you need. Love yourself. LOVE others. LOVE your enemies. If you want, BY ALL MEANS: LOVE GOD! By the way, LOVING your enemies does not mean you have to spend time with them. LOVE those closest to you THE MOST! Those closest to you do not feel the LOVE from you the most, will lead to you being the most lonely human being. There is nothing more worse than being lonely.
Starting with yourself, on this DAY OF ENCOURAGEMENT, I encourage you to … love.