Tomorrow is National Day of Encouragement in the United States. It’s a day dedicated to encouraging and having a positive impact on the world around us. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Today’s Simple Living Sunday post has some ideas and words of encouragement that I hope will give you a little boost. And don’t forget to pay it forward tomorrow!

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

C.S. Lewis

Three simple pleasures and highlights

To me, encouragement and gratitude go hand in hand. With that in mind, here are three simple pleasures and highlights of the last week.

• I bought a new pair of shoes—but not just any shoes. A few years ago, I bought a pair of white open-toed pumps during a visit to Toronto. They are the most comfortable pair of shoes I’ve ever owned. Since then, I’ve often regretted not buying a pair in every colour they had. I’ve been looking for a new pair of black shoes for my niece’s wedding, and guess what I found! Yes, I found the black pair to match those wonderful white shoes. And…I really got lucky—the store had only one pair left and they were my size. Serendipity abounds!

• Our church choir had our first practice of the fall on Tuesday. It’s always so uplifting to sing with others.
• I found 2 nice large coil-bound notebooks for $1.50 each in the clearance bin at the supermarket on Friday.

And now…for a little encouragement…

This week’s simple living focus: Words of encouragement

It’s easy to get discouraged when things don’t go the way we want them to. The history of National Day of Encouragement is a lesson in how to make a difference in the world.

History of National Day of Encouragement

National Day of Encouragement has been around since 2007. It started at Harding University in Arkansas.

Every year, Harding University hosts a National Leadership Forum for high school juniors and seniors from across the United States. In 2007, Dr. Andrew Baker asked the students to come up with solutions for the problems they saw in their high schools.

One group of students saw lack of encouragement at school, at home, and in the media, as a major barrier to success for young people. They planned a campaign for a day of encouragement to be held every year on September 12. Later that year, the White House, the state of Arkansas, and the U.S. Senate endorsed the idea. National Day of Encouragement was born.

An important lesson for all of us

This is such an inspiring example of the difference encouragement can make. If a small group of high school students can take a simple idea all the way to the White House, imagine what else is possible with a little encouragement.

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Three things to do this week

Harding University actually has an Encouragement Club. How cool is that? You may not have access to such a club, but you have an opportunity to encourage others every day. Here are some ideas…

Show appreciation

Sometimes a simple thank you and sincere expression of gratitude can be the inspiration someone needs to keep going.

The company I work for has an online platform for employees to show appreciation to each other. It’s such a wonderful idea that sadly doesn’t get used anywhere near as much as it should. Earlier this year, I put a reminder in my calendar for the end of each week to formally thank people who helped me that week. It’s such a simple thing but it makes such a big difference in someone’s day.

Write “show appreciation” at the top of your to do list for tomorrow. It doesn’t matter how you do it, the important thing is to just do it. And don’t wait for the big stuff! Take the time to show appreciation for the little things, too.

Tell someone they can

We all hear the word “can’t” far too often in our lives. When you someone tells you can’t often enough, you start to believe it. In the past, I’ve shared my story of the high school teacher who told me I was a terrible writer. I believed that for many years until I started this blog. Words are powerful things that can either hold us back from our true potential, or inspire us to achieve things we never thought possible.

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Wayne Gretzky

This week, if you’re tempted to tell someone they can’t do something, encourage them to give it a try. Your words might be just the encouragement they need to do great things.

Remove obstacles and look for solutions

The time when people need encouragement the most is when they run into roadblocks. One of the most helpful things you can do is help people overcome obstacles that are standing in their way.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Dalai Lama

There are always many roads to the same destination. This week, help people look for solutions to those roadblocks, and find alternate paths to reach their destination.

Final thoughts – Words of encouragement for you

If you’re struggling with something right now, I will leave you with these words of encouragement.

Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.

George Herbert

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Each one of us has the power to encourage others. Let’s make every day a day of encouragement. It can make all the difference in someone’s life.

Do you have an example of something someone said or did to encourage you when you needed it? Tell me your thoughts below.