Pavani Madda, an International Student at UL, tells us about the importance of encouragement and positivity in our lives. We often turn to discouraging words when trying to make change, but this article may make you realise that uplifting others, and ourselves, can sometimes be the most powerful way to have an impact.

We could be a charm, we could be making others smile, our careers could be inspiring, we could be helping whoever is in need. We could be perfect in all the ways. But there could be a minute flaw which barely affects us, and it might affect the people around us which we might have not known until now.

That is ‘encouragement!’

I feel we require this as much as we require common sense in our lives. It is an emotion we all must feel and give others like all other emotions. We would never know how much someone thirsts for it until we are in that position. Sometimes we may struggle at some point in our lives. Then, what do we crave for? Money? Opportunity? Or something else? The best thing that lifts us with no efforts is a word of encouragement from others. We all would need that one encouragement to start on something, to excel in that something, to achieve that something, to transform our lives better.

We get so many discouragements around instead of that one encouragement. How can we expect someone to be well settled and successful in their lives without even pushing them — I personally feel shameful to even expect such. Also, we might have come across people who enjoys when we fail. Why don’t we question ourselves that what is the difference between them and us – who don’t encourage others rather discourage sometimes with our poking words?

It is not that we all are weak, and we always must expect others to encourage us. When we align ourselves with others, comparatively we could be stronger in any aspect. Accordingly, we who are strong must be considerate of those who are weak. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others
what is right and build them up in whichever way it is possible. Why don’t we feel it as our responsibility at some sense? Here, I am not advising to seek for encouragements or to force others to encourage, or encourage others unwillingly, rather I am telling you the importance of a single word of encouragement coming from our hearts which could be very simple and fragile, but it might make their day — like “You got this!”
“This is tough, but you’re tougher.” “This, too, shall pass!”

And what if there is no one beside us? No one to push us forward, all alone? Then we got someone, and that is ‘ourself’. Take the pills of self-motivation, let us heal our wounds, encourage ourselves and not let those discouragers mock us.

Let us root for others as we root for ourselves.