Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2017-03-07) from his book, Encouragement Changes Everything: Bless and Be Blessed (Kindle Location 487). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I get that.   It is so easy to be so choosy, isn’t it? John says, “People tend to be too choosy about who they help and who they encourage. They look for people like themselves. And some people even believe that they should help only individuals who believe what they believe and think as they do. That’s not the way it should be.” He goes on, “Years ago I came across a piece about someone who fell into a pit and couldn’t get out—and how others treated that person: “A  subjective person came along and said, ‘I feel for you down there.’ An objective person came along and said, ‘Well, it’s logical that someone would fall down there.’ A Pharisee said, ‘Only bad people fall into pits.’ A mathematician calculated how the individual fell int...

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2017-03-07) from his book, Encouragement Changes Everything: Bless and Be Blessed (Kindle Location 394). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That’s a very good thought.   I’m sure you would like people to enjoy you, wouldn’t you? John says, “Many people in this world desire to help others. These people are adders. They make the lives of others more pleasant and enjoyable. Evangelist John Wesley advised people to . . . do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.   Wesley was an adder.” John then says, “People who add value to others almost always do so intentionally. I say that because adding value to others requires a person to give of himself, and that rarely occurs by accident. I have endeavored to become an adder. I like people and I want to h...

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2017-03-07) from his book, Encouragement Changes Everything: Bless and Be Blessed (Kindle Location 306-307). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) This is a good reminder, isn’t it? John says, “Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca observed, ‘Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.’ If you want to lift people up, do it daily.” John goes on, “ENCOURAGERS KNOW THE LITTLE DIFFERENCE THAT SEPARATES HURTING AND HELPING. The little things you do every day have a greater impact on others than you might think. You hold the power to make another person’s life better or worse by the things you do today. Those closest to you—your spouse, children, or parents—are most affected by what you say and do. Use that power wisely.” He then says, “ENCOURAGERS INITIATE THE POSITIVE IN A NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT. IT’S ONE THING TO BE POSITIVE IN A POSITIVE OR NEUTRAL ENVIRONMENT. I...