The Encouragement Blog

Encouragement, Acknowledgement, and Recognition

encourage — Sat, 23 May 2009 05:41:23 +0000

by my great friend Phill Evans check his site out at

www.peoplestuff.com.au

My phone rang. Because I happened to be sitting in my office, and had my reading glasses on, I could see the name of the caller: Paul Dunn. So my greeting as I answered the phone was this, “Hi there Mr Paul Dunn, how the heck are you”? Paul’s response was that he was thrilled that I had greeted him that way, as we haven’t seen each other in a couple of years, and he’s based mainly in Singapore these days. We exchanged the usual laughter and “long-time-no-see” kinda stuff; and then Paul told me that he had called for one very simple reason: and that was to tell me to keep up my great work in what I was doing every day! Apart from the Wow-Factor; I was also humbled.

Now Paul’s a very busy guy, and is one of the Co-Founders of Buy1GIVE1 or B1G1, and as I said above, is mainly based in Singapore these days. He had gone out of his way to make a call to me which was full of encouragement, acknowledgement, and recognition for what I do! A simple act of pure kindness and without any strings attached, or any hidden agenda at all.

Two things happened for me: the first thing was that I felt absolutely wonderful to receive that call; and am so grateful to Paul for making it. Thanks heaps mate! And the second thing was that I realised that I actually make those kind of calls (and emails) every day to numerous people all over the world, and now I know through being on the other end of ‘the line’, just how it feels. So Mr Paul Dunn, you have helped me to realise and feel the benefit in receiving something as simple as a phone call, but with good intent. Which has also encouraged me to continue doing what I do, and to not even think about the size of the phone bill. Smiling …. And it also encourages me to recommend that more people make similar calls because these days it is just too easy to get caught up in being time poor or have other ‘more important’ things to do. I actually make it a habit to make 7 of these calls a day when I can, and that’s most of the time because I make it a priority. Keep the calls short and sweet; and you’ll make someone’s day; while getting the satisfaction out of an act of giving!

FYI folks: B1G1 is the home of the most powerful, impactful and change-making giving process in the world. In 2000 Paul ‘retired’ and sold all his business interests, only to discover the transformational power of giving in 2006 by funding an orphanage for Tsunami-affected children in India. That led to his co-discovery of Buy1GIVE1 in 2007. When you’ve finished here you might like to google B1G1 and see what it’s all about.

Gratitude and Joy

Judgement of any kind is the strongest and most successful eliminator of joy from our lives!
Yes - it deprives us of the inner-most feelings of what most people refer to as being happy!
And like all aspect of life which we can learn to improve or change; the awareness of just how often we can easily slip into judgement mode, is the way to overcome it entirely! Just be aware, and if you feel yourself starting to be judgemental about anyone or anything, then you can stop yourself, and choose to change your attitude towards that person or thing! Awareness leads to change; if you choose to embrace a different attitude, and re-focus on that good stuff!

The other side of the ‘joy story’ is that one of the greatest ways to achieve joy (inner happiness) is to be grateful for everything in your life, and to express that gratitude openly: to yourself and to others! Become aware of how good it feels; then practise feeling and acting grateful as often as you can. It will quickly turn into a good habit if practised diligently, and worth every ounce of effort I assure you!

And here’s a bonus: That same wonderful friend Paul Dunn from Singapore interviewing Dr John Demartini on the subject of Gratitude and Joy - JUST GO HERE

Slingshot Slavery

encourage — Thu, 21 May 2009 05:38:12 +0000

A little boy was visiting his grandparents on their farm and he was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced for some time but he could never hit the target he had set for himself.

Getting a little discouraged, he headed back to the farmhouse for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hitting the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved!

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, ‘Sally, let’s wash the dishes.’

But Sally said, ‘Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.’ Then she whispered to Johnny, ‘Remember the duck?’

So Johnny did the dishes and later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, ‘I’m sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.’

Sally just smiled and said, ‘Well that’s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help you.’ She whispered again, ‘Remember the duck?’

So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s; he finally couldn’t stand it any longer.

He went to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.

Grandma knelt down, gave him a big hug and said, ‘Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window the other day and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.’

Author Unknown

The way back home

encourage — Tue, 19 May 2009 05:36:41 +0000

There is a very old Japanese legend about a sacred mountain where all old people would journey to when they were near their life’s end. They would wait on the mountain top until sunrise, and then the gods would take them to heaven.

One day, an elderly mother and son set out to their journey to the mountain. She was very old and frail, so the son decided to carry her up the mountain on his back to leave her to wait for the gods. They walked all day and at sunset they arrived at the foot of the mountain. They rested for a little while and then continued on up the mountain, climbing for several hours.

While the son walked up the mountain with his old mother on his back, he noticed that she kept breaking twigs and branches off trees and bushes every minute or so, and she would throw them on the path behind them.

He asked his mother what she was doing and she replied, ‘You are a wonderful son. You have carried me far on your back to the sacred mountain and you must be very tired. I am breaking off branches to leave a trail, so that when you come back down the mountain you will know the path and not get lost. I am leaving little signs for you to return home safely.’

The son was very touched and shed a tear for his mother. Soon they reached the top of the mountain. He gently rested his mother down, bowed to her three times and bid her farewell, wishing her peace and happiness in the heavens, and leaving her to greet the gods at sunrise, then made his way back down the mountain following the trail of twigs and branches that his mother had dropped on the way up the mountain.

So it is with all mothers and also fathers, who show us the way through life. They leave us little clues to find our way home safely. They guide us through the mountains of life.

And eventually they leave us, but not without small signs to help us walk a better path.

Author Unknown

“I’ll drop you a line”

encourage — Mon, 18 May 2009 05:30:54 +0000

By Bob Perks

He always joked that he’d write to me.

“I’ll drop you a line someday,” he would say and then laugh.

I needed desperately to hear from him. Perhaps he sent this message.

Some would say it was just coincidence. But if there’s one thing I don’t believe in, it’s coincidence.

I’ve thought about him often since he left. I’ve wished upon a star and

prayed upon my knees that somehow I could see him one more time.

Just to say “hello!” or even to have the chance to watch him.

Just watch him? How odd.

Yes, I never realized that I had been doing it through the years. But I did.

I know because I catch myself mimicking him. So I must have noticed the way he held his head, his smile and the way he sat. It all became a part of me. How did that happen?

Lately I’ve been seeing him, too. Oh, not really him, but reflections of him in

the face of a stranger. Then just the other day I saw his eyes when I looked at my brother. It really took my breath away, but I couldn’t say a word. I was afraid in doing so he’d go away again.

But today he left this note for me. He knew I could not visit him, although

I wanted to. So instead I found this note that said, “I appreciate what you have done for me. You are a fine son, Dad”

There it was tucked between the pages of my bible. I got that habit from my

Mom. We had this big old family Bible that was filled with mementos. Pressed flowers, burial cards, pictures and prayers cut out from magazines she read.

Although mine is not as full, it holds some things I thought were important once and having tucked them away, forgot about them until…until I needed to be reminded again.

It’s funny how these things work. Someone had sent me a note and included

a reference in the Bible. It was in that search that I found my father’s note to me.

Come to think of it I was searching for the words of my Heavenly

Father when my father in heaven dropped me a line.

“I appreciate what you have done for me. You are a fine son.”

It was great hearing from you, Pop! Thanks for writing.

Sure, that’s a coincidence.

Approaching Each Day

encourage — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:13:23 +0000

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new job relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to go to!

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with knowledge and adventure.

Today I can dejectedly murmur because I have housework to do or I can feel grateful for shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped, and here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. And I shall decide what kind of day I shall have!

How will you live this day?

Author Unknown

Living and Giving

encourage — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:08:56 +0000

Whatever you give away today, or think, say or do will multiply about tenfold and then return to you. It may not come immediately, nor from the obvious source but the law applies unfailingly, through some invisible force.

Whatever you feel about another, be it love, hate or passion will surely bounce right back to you in some clear or secret fashion. If you speak about a person, a word of praise or two, soon, tens of other people will speak kind words of you.

Our thoughts are broadcasts of the soul, not secrets of the brain. Kind ones bring us happiness and petty ones, untold pain. Giving works as surely as reflections in a mirror. If hate you send, hate you’ll get back, but loving brings love nearer.

Remember, as you start this day and duty crowds your mind, that kindness comes so quickly back to those who first are kind. Let that thought and this one direct us through each day.

The only things we ever keep are the things we give away.

Author Unknown

A message of hope …

encourage — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:46:06 +0000

“I Wish You Enough!”
A message of Hope…stories from the road.
Essays, parables and rare moments of clarity.
By Bob Perks

****************
Hello, my Friend!
I have received many replies to my question
about hope. I also have heard from many who
were worried about my friend who didn’t want
to read any more of my messages because they
were “Too uplifting.”

It was obvious he was hurting and rightfully so.

I have come to find out that he had lost his job
and was doing small jobs for neighbors and friends
who had offered to help him in these tough times.

After I wrote to him with more encouragement, he
responded.

He had hit a low point and was “Venting” he said
and apologized. It wasn’t necessary at all. I’ve
been that low, too.

You and I prayed for him.

He had already been a gift to me. It was because
of him that I have taken on a greater urgency
to “Touch the world one person at a time.”

I told him so.

The next day he returned to my list of
“Friends I’ve never met.”

But wait, there’s more. With all that he lost
and the little he gets by working so hard,
he sent me a $25.00 donation.

I promised him to take it and give it to someone
who had lost hope, too.

Those who have the least to give, give the most.
Bob and Marianne

****************

Perks Pearl of Wisdom

“If you need a lift, bend down to pick
someone else up.”

Bob Perks

****************
Have you heard me sing?

If you are a shepherd, be the best and you may live to own the flock.

encourage — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:45:09 +0000

One of the most wonderful things about life is that we are all unique with different levels of intelligence, interests, aptitudes, and desires.

How dreadfully dull it would be if we all wanted to be nuclear physicists-or bakers. But, regardless of the gifts we may have received at birth and whichever skills we may have since developed, we all have the capability to be the best at what we do. Being the best is strictly a reflection of your attitude and your desire.

Whether you are a salesperson, an executive, a secretary, or an assembly-line worker, you have the capacity to be as good as you choose to be.

When you become outstanding at what you do, you will discover greatly increased demand for your services.

When you become the best in your line of work, you may be asked so often to help other “sheep” that you will soon own your own “flock.”

This positive message is brought to you by the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Visit us at http://www.naphill.org.

Savour the Journey

encourage — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:04:40 +0000

Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Do not set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Do not give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Do not be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.

Do not dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose.

Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going.

Life is not a race, it is a journey to be savoured each step of the way.

Author Unknown

“Hope is alive and well”

encourage — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:46:23 +0000

By Bob Perks

I have been challenged, I believe, to stand up for “hope.”
I have heard the nay sayers beating it down at every turn.
I have witnessed the attempts to convince the people of
the world that hope is dead.

It saddens me and angers me greatly.

When someone stands for hope, someone hopes they fail.

When God wants me to do something He is relentless. It
first begins with a feeling, a nudge, a word spoken
in passing, a song, or the tiniest almost unnoticeable
thing. I almost always respond to those simple urgings.

Hope is…
Having Faith
believing
in enough
in the face of a child
the sigh after a kiss
sunrises
sunsets
another season, another reason
morning, afternoon and night
beginning, after an end
“hello” after “goodbye”
“yes” after “no”
“no” because there’s something better
plans made and followed
dreams
a handshake
a smile
an up after down
birth
death and its promise
being “born again”
a reach down
a look up
a meeting
a vote
a phone call
email
a clock alarm and wake up
setting the alarm
setting a goal
the sound of your name
first Robin
coming in first
finishing a race in any place
doing your best
trying
quiet
noise
and you…especially, you!

Where do you find hope? Send me one short line

like above.
I’m collecting them.

perksblog@Hotmail.com

“I believe in you!”
Bob

If you would like to receive Bob’s Inspirational
stories, please visit http://www.IWishYouEnough.com
and submit your email address.