We spoke at the previous article about the impact of kind words and how they gladden the heart amid the problems of life. It is said, “The difference between a successful person and others is not lack of strength, not lack of knowledge, but rather lack of will”. Kind words change people and encourage them to make success and change their life.
As man is sowing the land of his soul, he needs the seeds of kind words that bear the greatest fruits he can give to the world. Encouragement is an element of kind words that we should practice as it creates self-trust that encourages man to think and create.
There are many stories and incidents that show the miraculous result of encouragement. But yet many a time we ignore its effect! The impact of encouragement is embodied in the life story of Edison as his mother’s encouragement has turned him into a great inventor.
There are many stories alike that show the effect of encouragement on great people. One of them is Charles Dickens’ that was affected by the encouragement of his father’s friend and turned out to be one of the greatest writers of English literature. Alison Anderson, a novelist wrote that
“I admit that I was too lucky for having a dad like mine. He always told me to realize that I could do it.” During secondary school, she moved to the countryside with her family and she was deeply attached to the beauty of the place that she wanted to write about it at the tabloid issued there. She felt that was impossible, thus she resorted to her father who was always the source of encouragement to her and he told her “You can do it”. “Since that day I became a famous novelist”, she said. On the contrary, harsh words can turn people to the brink of disappointment and failure.
A group of frogs was traveling through the woods and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?” The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift him up and help him make it through the day. So be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. Say a lot of kind words like “thank you, good job, you did it and you can do it”. As your words may be the thin thread that turn people to a better life.
To be continued….
General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
