subject: How To Be An Extreme Encourager [print this page] Many years ago, when I first shared my dream of being a songwriter with one of my best friends, she knitted her brows and said, Huh?
I cant say I was deflated by all of the warnings that followed. After all, I had always been surrounded by this kind of practical thinking. In fact, I probably shared my dream with her just so shed talk me out of it.
During this fumbling stumbling time in my life, I met a man who became an unlikely best friend and mentor. He was a brilliant jazz musician, and he could do pretty much anything on the computer.
One night, after he performed at a local jazz club, we were walking towards my car. I told him my dream of being a songwriter. Without even blinking, he said, Honey (he always called me Honey), youd be a fabulous songwriter. Thats perfect! And he meant it.
At that moment, I felt like I was falling into a soft clean bed. I had never experienced such direct and truthful encouragement without a single practical warning attached to it. This friend set me free by offering one simple thing:
Encouragement.
Fast forward many years and successes (and failures!) later. Im surrounded by encouragers. Im sure there are doubters around. But they just dont register anymore.
Also, I have become an Extreme Encourager myself.
Ive observed Extreme Encouragers. Ive also recognized some traits that they all have in common. See if you recognize any of these traits in yourself:
An Extreme Encourager lives by example
The best encouragers are the ones who live it. Whether theyre just getting started, or theyre veteran risk-taking creativity-living wild-women - the encouragers are the ones who want a bigger life for themselves and are willing to go there. This is why my jazz musician friend could simply offer encouragement when my other friend could not.
An Extreme Encourager actively listens
Encouragers know that encouragement doesnt mean you just tell people to buck up or get over it. They know how to listen. This means looking at the speaker, listening to her, setting your agendas and judgments aside, and honoring the speaker as a wise soul.
An Extreme Encourager avoids clichs
Avoiding clichs is a natural result of actively listening to someone. Being an extreme encourager doesnt mean that you blindly tell people You can do it! or Let go of fear! Its deeper than that. Its seeing the truth of the other person, especially when they cannot.
An Extreme Encourager acknowledges the hooglie-booglies, but doesnt focus on them
We all have the hooglie-booglies. These are the voices that tell us we cant, or we shouldnt, or well fail, or well look stupid. An encourager doesnt focus on those voices because she knows they theyre trying to hook her. An encourager simply acknowledges that the voices are there and that you cant make them go away by arguing with them. An encourager knows that those voices arent the truth. They only SEEM like the truth.
An Extreme Encourager remembers that no one knows whats best for anyone else
An encourager knows that we are all wise - and that sometimes we make choices that might not seem so wise. An extreme encourager calls out our deepest desires and then helps us see the thoughts and fears that hold us back.
An Extreme Encourager accepts miracles, grace and mystery as the deeper truth.
Extreme encouragers are often mystics of sorts. They know that the so-called woo-woo stuff is more real than the so-called logical stuff. They celebrate the divine as a simple fact of everyday existence and dont get caught up in the prove it mindset.
An Extreme Encourager knows that you can develop the needed character traits as you go
In other words, she knows youre ready now, even if youre not perfect yet! I shudder when I read advice that discourages people from trying something because of character traits required in advance. You shouldnt blog if youre not disciplined. If you dont have focus, you cant be a writer. Most of the successful people I know developed these traits as they went. I certainly did. Encouragers understand the huge potential for growth in each human, especially when someone takes the biggest risk of all and begins to follow her heart.
