I believe in you!

Ok, now that I've told you "I believe in you", all your worries and troubles have gone away right?!?!

What do you mean no?

So you're saying it takes more than that for your worries and troubles to skedaddle. Interesting.

How about if I told you it's a step in the right direction...would you believe me?

A few years ago, Harvard Business Review did a study or praise and criticism (go ahead and Google it). They found out that the top performing teams gave each over more than five positive comments for every criticism. That's it, just positive comments, not more money or vacations or a corner office. Makes you think, doesn't it.....

Still, have doubts? How about if I share two phrases, each containing three words and see how they make you feel:

I Love You
I Hate You

Now, are you a believer?

A kind or encouraging word is a powerful thing. Even a warm smile can be the ray of light someone needs to keep going. Too many people make excuses that they are too busy for others. Please! How long does it take to smile and wave at the mailman, to say thank you to the waitress, to say "good job" to your co-worker, to say I love you to your family and friends.

I'm gonna be telling it like it is here. If you are around someone or someones who are constantly belittling, insulting and degrading you, it's time to love them from a distance. I'm not saying you need to cut all contact (unless you do, and you and only you can know that), but I am saying that if they won't change, it's up to you to not have that negativity be the major influence in your life.

And if that person is you, stop destroying your own happiness. "I can't do this", "I'm not smart enough for that", "I'm too ugly to"....you get the idea. No one ever accomplished anything by saying I can't.

Here's a side note....don't criticize someone for their negative comment. For example: "You're always so negative, don't you have anything nice to say". While that might be true, you just made a negative comment about there being negative. Is that what they mean by double negative? Instead, you could choose to make an encouraging statement or say nothing at all.

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

You know who said that? God did in Colossians 4:6. How about this one:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Found in Ephesians 4:29. See the Bible already told us what Harvard discovered. Now it's our job to spread the words......