How to inspire change in ourselves and others
Hi Friends!
Have you ever noticed how you react to things when you’re already in a bad mood or stressed out? Tiny frustrations feel world-ending! Everything feels bigger than it is. Another thing that tends to accompany the grumps are harsh, critical reactions. We get snappy! Without intending to, those reactions can become habitual.
Life is stressful! We are often living at capacity, and as a result, we can get in the habit of being critical of ourselves and others. It can take more intention and effort to be encouraging rather than critical, but the more we work on it the more positivity, love, and encouragement will become our new habit!
Henry B. Eyring taught—
“When you sit with someone,... you represent the Lord. Think of what He would do or say. He would invite them to come unto Him. He would encourage them. He would notice and praise the beginning of the changes they will need to make. And He would be the perfect example for them to emulate.”
Christ set the perfect example for us to follow in how he reacted and responded to others. He didn’t require perfection from others before He showed them love. He didn’t even require others to “prove” their progress—he “praised the beginning of the changes” they were making.
This example of encouragement is vital for us to follow. Shame and hate never fuel change or progress. With practice, intention, and help from our Savior we can make encouragement our gut reaction. We can make it so much of a habit that even our stressful loads can’t bring us down! Here are some things that might help!
Feel Better in 5! How to inspire change in ours
Speak the good!
It can be easy to only speak up when someone needs correction, but when we instead work to notice AND SHARE the good we see in people, they are more likely to keep progressing!
Skip the hate!
When we make a mistake it’s easy to beat ourselves up for it—but that doesn’t actually help anything. Let the natural consequences be enough and move through it!
Trust your worth!
Most of the time when we are critical of others it’s rooted in our own insecurities. As we come to trust our worth it becomes less threatening to celebrate the good in others.
Ask for help!
We aren’t in this alone! Prayer can help us see clearly what we need to change, and also can give us the courage to navigate those changes.
Put in the practice!
How we treat ourselves and others is a habit—and with intention and practice habits can change! When we catch ourselves getting critical, we can stop and start over! One day at a time everything can change.
Creating habits of encouragement is important in our discipleship! Let’s make an effort to cheer each other on AND remember to treat ourselves with that same kindness. We can do this!