Most days, somewhere along the way, stress comes calling, and I struggle to just get back to “Thank you”. I know that in this special place, all is going the way of love, and everything is perfect. I know that if I can just get to back to “Thank you”, I’ll be fine. It seems that it would be so easy to get there, and to stay there, but it’s not. I won’t give up, and I hope this sharing will strengthen you in returning to “Thank you” time and again. Thank *you* for being here! *You* are my reason for being.

Simple Encouragement and Simply Encouraging are Trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc.

What’s the difference between a healthy person and an unhealthy person? A healthy person doesn’t let their “dysfunctioning” get in the way of their functioning. Yep, I said it, and I’m glad! Our growth depends upon our acting “as if” we are already grown. It’s as old as time, “Fake it until you make it”, and since it is as old as time, we sometimes miss the wisdom and the power of those words. Let’s face it, we’re all actors upon the stage of life, and we get to choose our roles! You have a sense of what a “functioning” person looks like, so you also have the freedom to act out the very best version of the very best you that you can be! You’re not captive to a conflict; you’re a free agent. You’re not a series of products or cures; you’re a beautiful process! Think about it, if twenty-grand cash was resting on you acting thoroughly happy, loving, and productive for a day, you just might be able to pull it off. That’s all, folks! Don’t let your dysfunction get in the way of your function! In fact, why don’t you hop on over to the Simple Encouragement® Facebook Page to share your thoughts on the matter. I’ll see you there!

Simple Encouragement and Simply Encouraging are Trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc.

It was one of those moments when I said, “Awwww, we’re just little fish in a great big pond.” Without hesitation my wife said, “Woohoo! We have room to grow!” And you know what? She was right! So here is my question to you. Right here and right now, where do you have room to grow? Come on, you know the answer! You just heard that tiny, little voice deep on the inside telling you exactly what you need to be doing differently, and precisely how to do it. My simple resolution this year is to get real comfortable with “that voice”. In fact, I’m even giving myself a “double dog dare” to do a lot of what it says! How about you?

Simple Encouragement and Simply Encouraging are Trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc.

I used to work for a man who seemed to have no sense of vulnerability whatsoever. Speaking in front of hundreds, no problem. Confronting tough issues, easy. Being personally attacked, whatever. Of course, his seeming invincibility brought a huge problem in relating, and the glaring flaw was empathy. When we discussed his intimidating effect upon others he would invariably say, “I just don’t have a frame of reference for that”. I walked away from those discussions wondering about the emotional experiences and memories that I was providing for those around me. Let’s face it, we’re all a “frame of reference”, and we get to determine what that frame will be. Are we a “frame of reference” for hurt, insult, and shame? Or are we a “frame of reference” for love, hope, and encouragement? One way or the other, with every interaction that we have, we’re going to have an impact. As people walk through the door of your life, what are you treating them to? What “frame of reference” will they carry with them as they walk back out again? 

Simple Encouragement and Simply Encouraging are Trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc.

Sometimes we feel bound by fate. Other times we claim free will. It may seem like we’re powerless, yet power can flow from our release. Why do we cling to “either/or” when we can have it all? Can you hold the tension of loving someone you’re angry with? Do you dare to give it away when you feel like you don’t have enough? Life is far too clever to be a paradox. I try to choose “the mystery of both” because it sets me free! Encouraged people embrace mystery. They’re playfully comfortable with what they don’t know. They claim strength in weakness. They give and they love, just because they can. Encouraged people are mysterious folks! What do you think?

Simple Encouragement and Simply Encouraging are Trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc.

I listen for evidence of subtle passion and unrecognized talent. I experience others with the goal of discovering those very characteristics, unique and special, that they barely see as anything more than their typical routine. I spoke with a woman who loves the quiet solitude of painting nature scenes. For her, painting is transcendent, and the process makes her whole. She told me how people love her creations, and she declines their considerable offers of money to possess them. For her, it’s just what she does in life, as if everyone is capable of the very same talent. When I suggested that she set up an online studio so everyone could buy and enjoy her work, she seemed disoriented, telling me that people wouldn’t like what she does enough to spend money for it. Clearly, she didn’t even hear what she had just shared! Today, she conducts a successful art concern, doing what she loves, and thrives at it. If we’re willing to connect with others in a spirit of loving engagement, everyone has these incredible diamonds in the soil of their being, just ready for mining. And guess what? You have the gift to give the “gift”! I wonder if you really knew that.

Simple Encouragement and Simply Encouraging are Trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc.

I’m thinking of the things that people “try to be”. Whole industries are built upon them. Fortunes are made! Think about it. People “try to be” happy. Folks “try to be” motivated. Do you ever “try to be” important? What about those who “try to be” powerful. Here’s a good one. Do you “try to be” good? Well, if logic serves me, I have some really bad news for those who “try to be”. You can’t! If you “attempt, strive, and endeavor” (try) then you’re going to find it difficult “to occur naturally, or remain as before” (be). You simply can’t “try” to “be”. I mean, if you “try to be” and you only end up frustrated then I have to ask, “Why try?” Oh, please, don’t get me wrong. The process of becoming is a beautiful thing! It’s graceful and it occurs almost imperceptibly, kind of like a flower growing in a beautiful field. Yet, the flower only reaches for the sun out of the nature that was in its seed. The flower never strays from the root that gives reason for its being. So here’s the point. No matter how much you try to change by any means, it can only be real if you continue to “remain as before”. Yes, really ponder that one. We all have a seed of “essence” and if we receive it, embrace it, and enjoy it just as it is, it expands by giving us graceful doses of “try”. This is the process of becoming, when the “be” within comes naturally into fullness through telling us where to “try" in some small way. Our job is to listen closely, and then follow naturally. I think this makes sense. What do you think? 

Simple Encouragement and Simply Encouraging are Trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc.

Are you unrealistically positive in your self-perceptions? Do you view the future in an overly optimistic way? Does your sense of control over circumstances seem greater than reality might dictate? If you answered “Yes” to these questions then you’re probably more caring, productive, and satisfied than the average person. Yes, “positive illusions” are good for us and to create them, we have to “spin” small portions of “fact” into “semi-related fiction”. To “spin” is the tendency to control our narratives in order to portray things in a favorable light, but here’s the key. We have to stand “as if” we are in the shoes of our “created realities” without completely losing the “as if” quality. Happy people consult regularly with their inner “spin doctors”, so perhaps it’s time to schedule a series of visits with yours! “Dr. Spin” will remind you that imagination blended with large doses of positive anticipation is a powerful force. Go ahead, “Spin it, believe it, and make it real!” Feels kind of good, doesn’t it.

Simple Encouragement and Simply Encouraging are Trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc.

To just cope with life is sad because coping has burdensome qualities like “to struggle”, “to contend”, “to manage”, or “to just get by”. That sounds like mere survival to me. I suppose that compared to not facing our challenges realistically, then coping is a good thing. But living is more than just struggling to stay afloat in a sea of challenge. We might seem destined to a series of “fight or flight” choices all the days of our lives, but there really is a better way. My most effective “coping strategy” is simply to love. If you take some time to seriously consider that thought, it will revolutionize your entire life. Cope less, love more, acquire peace!

Simple Encouragement and Simply Encouraging are Trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc.

As I hear the difficult and painful experiences of others, I listen closely for their “narrative”. A narrative is a deeply embedded story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Woven through the narrative is a theme made up of core conclusions about one’s self, life, and relationships that have emerged as a result of the challenge or hurt. As you might expect, depending on the amount of pain, the theme can become a rather limiting tune to which one dances for a very long time. I listen closely to the stories I hear because every painful narrative begs a new ending that is fresh and expansive. Every story of hurt is seeking a positive tune to which its essence can begin to move, and we’re a part of the dance! We become a part of this wonderful process by simply listening to the story with a heart that cares. If we’re listening for “the deepest desire of the heart”, then we’ll know instinctively when to ask a brief but powerful question, and the question is, “And now?” You see, the story is being told in the first place because it’s an “incomplete experience”. The question “And now?” invites a brand new theme that satisfies with a victorious note of closure, once and for all. Whatever you’re dealing with from the past, or challenged with in the present moment, I ask of you, “And now?” Fill your answers with playful sounds of love, hope, and positive outcomes. It’s your life, dance joyfully!

Simple Encouragement and Simply Encouraging are Trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc.