Something I have been in tune with lately is the way my daughters (ages 11, 7, and 6) support each other and how the encouragement from others can have such a big impact.
Real Moments in Our Home:
Jane made banana bread and as her sister ate a piece she said, “Jane, you outdid yourself!”
As I was doing something in the kitchen I overheard Brooklyn offer Maurie her shoes when Maurie couldn’t find her own.
Maurie said her art was no good and Jane responded quickly with, “You are an artist, Maurie. I love what you drew!”
During the girls’ fun run, I saw Jane hold Brooklyn’s hand as they ran.
At the fun run I was at the checkpoint to mark the laps on the kids’ shirts. At first I was quiet as they came in to get their mark, but I overheard another woman clapping and cheering for everyone that passed. I started to cheer for every single person. The cheering became more important to the runners as they got more tired and the running became harder to maintain.
My husband, children, parents, siblings, ancestors and friends have cheered me on in ways that felt like life or death for me.
They have all taught me that life is not meant to be done alone. It is a team effort and the better cheerleader and hype-woman we are for each other, the more pleasant life’s work will be.
The Impact of Being a Cheerleader
I get so much joy from seeing my children encourage each other, their peers and anyone they come in contact with. There is a study called “The Effect of Teacher Encouragement on Student Self-Efficacy and Motivation for Self-Regulated Performance”. They concluded that the students that were given encouragement had higher self-efficacy and more performance points than those that did not receive the encouragement. When we believe that others are capable and offer our support, they can self-fulfill their goals. There is already so many people that are in their own way; don’t be another obstacle for them to reach their potential.
Jealously and hatred will never win in the end. Encouragement and love is what will allow us to all succeed together. Instead of seeing each other as competition, let us see each other as teammates, as brothers and sisters with an important and real story.
A Challenge
My daughters and I challenge you to find someone today to encourage through a note, a phone call, a smile, a kind word, a compliment, a high five, a friendly wave, or an act of service. Let us lift each other! “A rising tide lifts all boats.”
I am thankful that my daughters continue to show me how to love. Over and over, I am humbled that I get to be a part of their story and learn from them.
Look for the lessons your children are teaching. Here some other posts that feature other lessons I have learned from my children.
You, my friend, are capable of great things!
Lucy Bowman
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