We asked the CWG team a question this week. What are the best words of encouragement you’ve ever been given? Why? Because today is National Encouragement Day. A bit cliché, we know, but it also feels like a rather good excuse to stop for a moment and think about something we believe in all year round. Encouragement can come in all sorts of forms. It might be someone giving you the confidence to just go for it, a nudge when you’ve found yourself stuck, or simply a reminder that you’re actually doing a pretty good job (even when you’re struggling to believe it yourself). We’ve all experienced the difference a few well-chosen words of encouragement can make. The funny thing about encouragement is that we often don’t realise just how much the words we hear can stay with us. A sentence said in passing can become something you come back to years later, right at the moment you need it most, or at a time when someone else needs to hear them to. So, in honour of this day and the reminder it’s given us of the power of encouragement, we asked the women behind CWG to share the words that have stayed with them. Emma “Boldness has a genius and magic to it, whatever you can do or dream, you can do. Begin it now.” Emma’s quote comes from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and, although the wording may be slightly paraphrased, it’s one she has carried with her since she was around 19. There’s something very Emma about that idea of simply beginning. Not waiting until everything is perfectly lined up or you feel completely ready, but having the boldness to take the first step and see where it leads. If you listen to our podcasts, it’s a belief of Emma’s that you’ll notice popping up quite regularly. It’s clearly a sentiment that has stayed with her for a very long time. Rachel “If I dismiss the ordinary while waiting for the special, the extreme or the extraordinary to happen, I may just miss my life.” Rachel is not particularly drawn to the endless stream of national days that seem to fill the calendar, although she’ll happily get behind the more unusual ones! Her feeling is that encouragement and celebration are at their best when they happen naturally, not because the calendar tells us we should do it. A kind word on an ordinary Tuesday can mean every bit as much as one attached to a particular day. That feels rather relevant here. National Encouragement Day might give us a reason to talk about encouragement today, but there’s really no reason it needs to stop there. There is plenty to be said for noticing the ordinary moments too, and remembering that they matter. Rachel’s words are a lovely reminder of that. A reminder of not being so busy waiting for the big moments that we miss the good things happening in the everyday ones. Jess “Anyone can promise you the stars, but only you can reach them.” Jess admits this one is a little cheesy. But it’s also one she has never forgotten. A PE teacher at school said it to her, and over the years it has become a reminder that other people can encourage you, believe in you and tell you that you can do something until they’re blue in the face, but ultimately, you’re the one who has to get up and do it. It’s a very useful and important distinction don’t you think? Encouragement can give you the nudge, the confidence or the belief, but nobody else can take the steps for you. Charlotte “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” Charlotte’s is probably the simplest of the four and perhaps not quite as profound as some of the others! It’s something her parents have said to her throughout her life, at times of trivial teenage tantrums over homework, to university, jobs and plenty of other moments when things have felt difficult. It’s even a phrase she’s reminded herself of when out riding the horses. What Charlotte likes about it is that it doesn’t try to tell you that something isn’t hard. Quite the opposite. Instead, it acknowledges that sometimes things are hard but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong, and it certainly doesn’t mean you should give up. You're just doing something that requires a little extra effort and brain power. A quote of few words, but a reminder that there’s nothing particularly unusual about finding things difficult. You just have to keep having a go. Encouragement - it’s not reserved for just one day Our team’s quotes are all very different, but there’s a common thread running through them. Encouragement is about giving someone the confidence to begin, reminding them to acknowledge what’s already in front of them, and sometimes it’s a gentle nudge that says you’re the one who has to do this. These reminders are a big part of what we’re creating here at Countrywoman’s Guide. We want CWG to be a community that encourages one another. A place to ask a question, share an idea, have a wobble, celebrate something that’s gone brilliantly, or simply hear from someone who has been there before. You don’t need to be a paid member to be part of that. Our wider community is here every day, and we hope that encouragement is something we all give and receive naturally along the way. For our members though, they’re part of our inner circle if you will. A circle that gives you a little more. You become part of a group that you can turn to when you need a second opinion, a bit of advice, a cheer from the sidelines or just someone who understands what you’re juggling. A group we could benefit from. So yes, we’ll happily make the most of National Encouragement Day. We’re just not planning to stop when the day is over. Perhaps that’s the nicest thing we can take from it… you never really know when a few words might be exactly what someone else needs to hear. Over on our Instagram today we’re inviting our community to share their favourite words of encouragement, we’d love you to be a part of it too. Join our growing Community of people who value building a business that fits your life, rather than a life that fits in round your business.. Get full access to A Countrywoman’s Guide to Work and Life at countrywomansguide.substack.com/subscribe
