A woman came in to the Writing Center this afternoon, asking for help forming an outline for an essay she was writing about the power of encouragement. She told me that she was unsure about taking the writing class she was in. English wasn't her first language, and she wasn't sure she was up to writing essays. She shared her concerns with a classmate, and the classmate shared words of encouragement, inspiring her to take the class and try her best. She told me how inspired and empowered she felt after hearing just a few simple words of encouragement.
As a writing tutor, I have the opportunity to encourage people about their writing every day. I get to tell them what they're doing well, teach them how they could do even better, and encourage them to keep on writing. The people that come to me usually aren't very confident about their writing, but after talking with me for 55 minutes, they usually are. Being encouraged is an awesome feeling, and encouraging others feels really good, too.
You don't have to be a writing tutor to encourage others. In fact, you don't have to be particularly skilled at anything at all. You just need to know how to say uplifting phrases like "You've got this," or "You can do it," Or even just "Keep trying. You'll get there." We all face tough challenges in our lives, but knowing that someone believes in us can give us the confidence to face our challenges and overcome them. Even just a little bit of confidence can make a big difference, and I get to give other people confidence every day.
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