Friday, October 28, 2011

My Gift


I have a gift. It is an excellent gift. I am happy I have been given this gift. However, I may not always utilize my gift. Sometimes I tuck my gift away in a box and pretend it is not mine to use. Many times, after tucking it away for a while, I have literally forgotten it existed. I simply go on about my everyday life and let my gift grow stagnant. There have been countless times when I have denied my gift even to myself.

I have the gift of encouragement. It could also be called the gift of helps, the gift of inspiration, or something similar. I know what to say to lift someone up. I can make someone smile who did not think there was anything to smile about. I enjoy seeing the 'glass half full'. I am usually positive and upbeat.

My previous career position was a hiring manager for an insurance company. I managed a team of women whose job was to pound the phones all day long to set interviews. The job these women had was not an easy one. It was often filled with rejection and disappointment. There were peaks and valleys; often more valleys than peaks. The earnings were mostly commission and could be highly erratic.

My office, however,  was upbeat and happy most every day. Why? Why were these women so darn cheerful the majority of the time? I believe, and have been told, it was the way I managed them. My team always felt I had their back. They felt supported and encouraged.

I started every day, first thing in the morning, with a motivational meeting. The first order of business in that meeting was to relay an inspirational quote. I spent time early every morning finding the perfect quote to share with my team. I tried to tailor it to how they were doing personally, professionally, or both. I became quite good at finding the perfect quote. Often, one or more of them would post my agenda with the daily quote in their workspace to help them remember.

I became known in the larger divisions of our company as "the quote girl". Soon, I was asked to do a quote of the week on the Hiring Manager company-wide conference call each week. I was asked to relay to the company why my team was successful where others failed, and why they were in good spirits even when the achievements were not as great. One word explained that phenomenon: motivation.

Although I no longer work for that company, I still think of myself as "the quote girl". I find one good quote each day to enter into my journal at night. I even have apps on my iPhone to find them, and I save them whenever I come across a good one.

I love to encourage. I enjoy helping people feel better about themselves and their lives. I have the gift of encouragement. This site is my new mission about the best way to use my gift. How can I encourage you today?

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