Essential Encouragement: A Different TGIF

A core of our endurance and hope is encouraging ourselves as best we can.

Trust these invaluable gifts to keep on giving: thankfulness, gratitude, inspiration, and faith.

Thankfulness– Call to mind the good things in life, and offer thanks. Did we sleep well last night? Did our child do well with a new medication? Did we have an enjoyable family game night? Name it, be thankful for it, and even share that bright spot with someone who will celebrate with us.

Gratitude– Look for the beautiful and embrace it… breathe deeply and deliberately ponder it. Take delight in the tiniest treasures in life… seek joy and let it seep into our souls. Experts recommend we keep a gratitude journal. It can help us focus, provide perspective, and, during darker days, serve as a reminder of better
moments. Little steps can carry us many miles.

Inspiration– Gather thoughts and quotes that lift the spirit. We can gather them in a notebook, create posters for the walls, or write them on sticky notes and place them all around us, but we can strengthen our hearts by feeding ourselves with positive messages that inspire tenderness, love, and courage.

Faith– Hope, energy, and wisdom for the journey spring from a Power greater than us. Seek, find, and lean into the faith that heals.