| Volume 1 #8 | May 2006                          newsletter archive

The Danger of Discouragement

Think about some of the creative or personal things you enjoy--music, art, books, whatever. Do you ever stop to think about what a pity it would be to not have those things? What if the people who made the music, wrote the books, did the acting, etc. never pursued those talents because they didn't have the confidence or didn't think anyone would find them good enough? 

In the past few months, I've had occasion to meet some sweet people with obvious gifts and talents to offer to the world. I've also met people who have suffered at the hands of discouragers. Because of the unfortunate impact this negative energy had on them, they held back sharing their gifts because they believed they weren't good enough or worth the time.  When this happens, we all lose. The person with the talent loses confidence, and we lose out on the chance to be enriched and uplifted.

Fortunately, the power of encouragement can turn this around. I've seen people slowly emerge and take those first steps in putting their talents forward...and then having them validated by those who were able to recognize their abilities and assist in developing them.

I have always told artists I've worked with that you have a 0% chance of success if you share your talents, and at least a 50% chance if you do. True, you may be told that you might not be ready at one point for a certain success level. But any advice that is worth its salt will tell you why and tell you what you need to do to be ready. Blunt remarks may be reality show entertainment, but it's not valuable encouragement. It does much more harm than good if you don't recognize the difference.

So, say no to discouragers...and stay positive and stay focused.

---Wendy V

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All original written material ©2005-2006 Wendy Vickers. All Rights Reserved.