A Note of Encouragement

Jean Sanders

Description

It takes longer to phone the florist and order flowers than it does to hand write a personal note that lasts longer than flowers and will lift the spirits of the receiver. You can write that card. The small volume you hold in your hand was designed as a blue print for personal development into a positive encourager of those you know in need of an uplifting word. A simple card with your carefully chosen words hand written – no texting here – will bring positive affirmation to those discouraged, down-hearted, under appreciated, sorrowing or deserving of thanks for a deed of kindness. The process is broken down, outlined and flows with examples of what works and what not to say. With a little practice you will easily become a positive encourager.

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Développement personnel
• développement personnel
• Provolution
• Gratitude
• Letter (message)
• Thought
• Appreciation
• Self-help
• Uplift
• Helpfulness
• Acknowledgment
• Comfort
• Courage International
• Bienestar social

Informations

• Publié par: iUniverse
• Date de parution: 13 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781663249432
• Langue: English

Extrait

A Note of Encouragement
 
 
 
 
Jean Sanders
 
 
 

 
 
A NOTE OF ENCOURAGEMENT
 
 
Copyright © 2023 Jean Sanders.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
 
 
iUniverse
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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6632-4942-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6632-4943-2 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022923880
 
 
 
 
iUniverse rev. date: 04/10/2023
Contents
Introduction
1.   Getting Started
2.   Thank-You Notes
3.   The Sympathy Note
4.   Note of Appreciation
5.   Nourishing Friendships
Conclusion
Appendix A
Appendix B
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Snail mail takes a few days. Texts are quick, but even with emoji for emphasis, they fail in comparison to hand-written notes. Notes are handheld encouragements. A Google search provides a plethora of synonyms for the word encourage. These include motivate , uplift , fortify , inspire , hearten , and comfort . My thesaurus added urge and support . More were offered, but these will cover enough territory for our purpose of becoming an effective note-writing encourager. If doubt and apathy have stymied your good intentions to encourage a friend with a personal note, this book is here to help.
“I would have written a note, but I didn’t know what to say or how to say it. I thought it was too late.” How often have I heard or said those words? Stay with me, and we’ll dispel those fears, bringing confidence to your notes. Note writing is a skill—an art if you prefer—which can be developed, honed, and utilized to touch positively the lives of people in your life and community who have, perhaps, touched yours.
While ways to encourage someone are numerous, our activities will focus on composing three types of notes:
• note of thanks,
• note of sympathy or condolence, and
• note of appreciation
We know what thank-you notes are. We’ve all written and received them. We want our thoughtful friends and family members to know that we are grateful for their kindness. We also want to teach our children the process. Don’t skip this section.
Few, if any of us, will traverse this life without suffering loss. I found a definition of sympathy that said this: “The feeling that you care about and are sorry about someone else’s trouble, grief or misfortune.” We lose jobs, friends, and family members. The promotion didn’t come through. Someone else got the scholarship. The market crashed. These are a few of the situations when sufferers could use a note that lets them know someone cares.
You won’t find many appreciation cards on retail card racks because they cover so much territory. They are the cards that you wish you could find when you want to let someone know that you are aware of or pleased by their services rendered, talents shared, or goals met. You’ll think of more.
Lots of examples are coming.
Now that you know what’s coming, I want to tell you how this book happened. Lent is the forty-day period that follows Fat Tuesday and precedes Easter Sunday. Fat Tuesday, which you may know as Mardi Gras, is a feast day. Fasting begins on the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday. Some people stop eating something important to them, like meat, chocolate, or sweets. Forty days is a long time. Before Lent one year, I chatted with a neighbor. I admitted that I was a failure at Lent fasting. He suggested that I do something positive during the season that would keep me in remembrance of the upcoming Easter celebration. A few days later, another friend told me that her church taught both a fast and an active discipline. I decided I could write notes during this season. I didn’t write them every day, but I wrote some.
Was I successful? Not entirely. The death of a friend prompted a trip to California for a few days, but I busied myself on our return. I constructed and mailed off cards with handwritten notes. Considering the season, my mind dwelled on people in my church who made a difference. Most of those notes can be edited a bit and sent to people in the workplace or community. Even if you aren’t church oriented, you will find note-writing help. You may be skeptical and muttering, “What’s in this for me?” It’s about maintaining an attitude of gratitude. Making it a point to be grateful each day leads to better sleep, a longer life, and happier days.
Almost everyone to whom you write a note will acknowledge it. No one forgets kind words. I think Mark Twain spoke for all of us when he said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Still, I’ve been surprised at the lengths that people will go to keep a note that meant a lot to them. Encouragement endures. The magic of the written word is that it can be reread over and over if needed. Each time, the reader receives another dash of encouragement or kindness.
At a house-warming party, I visited with the wife of a man who worked in our church and, for all intents and purposes, kept the lights on. She told me that her husband was so touched by my note that he had been carrying it in his wallet for weeks. Recently, during the fellowship time at Bible study, a Mom told me that her daughter had kept a note I’d written her after she came to children’s church to play her instrument. The daughter was in junior high at the time and is now out of college. I could go on and on, but the point is that notes make a big difference. They encourage the receiver upon arrival and can continue to do so again and again.
Every time someone refers to the encouragement he or she received from a note, I’m inspired to continue the practice. Life experiences should tell us that we all need to be in the business of encouragement.
Sometimes the need to send a note is obvious. Other times we just feel a nudge. I want you to be open to the nudges. There are people in your sphere of influence who are in need of encouragement today. Consider your neighborhood, your workplace, your children’s school, or sports teams, and even government officials. Keep reading, and I’ll equip you to be a first-rate encourager.
Before you dive in, please know that I have changed the names of almost everyone in this work. I didn’t want to identify or embarrass any of my friends, coworkers, or acquaintances. However, I’m sure some of my friends will recognize themselves.
1
Getting Started
Words are powerful. They ignite wars, soothe babies, convey truth, and perpetuate lies. Sometimes they have multiple meanings, so finding the right words is essential. Mark Twain captured this point when he said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
Consequently, if we choose to and work at it, we can write what we mean. The purpose of this book is to help you harness the language, share what’s in your heart, write what you mean, and create powerful notes of encouragement. We all need encouragement, but more importantly, we need to give it out. The everyday stuff—a pat on the back or a kind email—can be appropriate and shouldn’t be neglected. But here, we are concerned with the social note that has been handwritten, stamped, and sent through the postal service.
As previously mentioned, this book will include three types of notes: thanks, condolences, and appreciation. A thank-you note is sent to an individual, couple, or group who has done something that was helpful or meaningful to the sender. For example, if your bunco group sends flowers when you are hospitalized, you would send a thank-you note to the group. A note of condolence is sent at the death of a loved one. It is different, and carefully chosen words are always required. A note of appreciation differs only slightly from a thank-you note. Appreciation can be spread around to anyone who provided a service to an individual, group, client, neighbor, or customer.
Acquiring Supp lies
Getting started is hard if you aren’t prepared. As previously noted, email just won’t cut it for this exercise. So, to be prepared, let’s stock up. First, purchase a package of quality stationary or blank note cards. Sometimes a post card will suffice. Cards can be found in craft stores. For a more affordable option, check a dollar store.
Second, keep a supply of stamps. While we all avoided going out during the 2020 pandemic, I learned that the US Postal Service will deliver stamps right to your mailbox. You don’t need to wait in line at your local post office. If you aren’t prepared, procrastination will set in, and your best intentions will slip away.
Addressing the Enve lope:
Judging by the contents of my own postbox, some still lack awareness when it comes to addressing an envelope. If you took a typing class, you will probably remember the envelope-addressing drill. But here’s a refresher for all, including the younger readers who have never heard of a typewriter.
M