Saturday, December 21, 2024
I am a recovering discourager. I used to think we could motivate each other by using “reverse psychology,” which is an insidious way of propagating negative thinking. If you’re “encouraged” by fear, a deadline, or a looming threat, it won’t take you as far as being encouraged by faith, hope, and love.
I learned that students love to be reminded of their potential. If you really want to light a fire under anyone’s ass, convince them they can. Extinguish the fire? That’s easy. Student’s do that to themselves. Do they need your help? When we discourage, we only encourage this notion that there’s no hope. “How about a little fire, scarecrow?” Light a fire under someone’s ass, or set set them ablaze with a witch’s broom?
When you discourage, you spread lies. Politicians are especially good at broom fires. Who are you to say someone cannot grow, evolve, or get better? Who are you to say someone won’t amount to anything? Who are you to end the universe with destruction?
Encouragement of potential is the only light. You might be able to get a bit of momentum out of a threat, but you’d get so much more out of believing in hope. We resort to threats because they seem to provide immediate results. Encouragement takes creativity and time, but it sticks once it gains traction. I won’t stop believing in you. I won’t stop believing in myself. I won’t stop believing in this blog. I won’t stop believing in life. You can’t snuff out hope anyway. You might cast a temporary shadow, but eventually you get on the right team. Don’t stop believing. Just stop propagating fear. Breathing life into potential has so much more power, authority, and momentum. Devote yourself to that, and you’ll see the light of the world.