Over at (in)courage today I’m sharing a post about why encouragement matters. With the craziness of the world right now it feels like intentional encouragement might be needed more than ever. And for a gal who likes to have a plan and a purpose and make things better, when I feel like everything is out of control THIS is something I can do.
We can make a difference in the lives of those around us when we consider them above ourselves and encourage them.
So you can head over and read that post, and I hope you will, but I don’t really have any practical tips in it to help you get started. Which is why I grabbed 5 super easy, super quick ideas together for you, in case you WANT to encourage someone today but you aren’t really sure what will work. (affiliate links included)
- Send a Card – whether you grab one at Target today when you go to shop the dollar section or buy toothpaste and end up with $50 worth of WHO KNOWS WHAT in your cart, or you order these super cute ones from DaySpring (hello, 12 cards for $5 plus 25% off with code THANKYOU), sending an actual, physical card in the mail is such a sweet way to bless someone’s day. Or pop it in the mailbox for your mail carrier, or leave it for your trash collector or your kids’ camp counselor or VBS teacher.
- Text a Friend – maybe God just put someone on your heart right now and you know she needs to hear an encouraging word a little faster than snail mail. Text her! Send her a favorite quote, scripture, song lyric, hilarious GIF – whatever you know will make her smile today.
- Share a Snapshot – I take a LOT of photos on my phone and share many of them on social media. But sometimes I like to print them out old school style and keep them in my office. As part of the HP Millennial Influencer Panel I just came home to an HP Deskjet 3755 which is this super cute wireless printer – and some of my favorite Social Media Snapshot paper! So I can print photos wirelessly right from my phone onto this fantastic photo paper that has a sticky back (like a post-it) to make them easy to display. Why not print your favorite photo you have with your friend and send it to her, and print one for yourself to keep somewhere that will remind you to pray for her whenever you see it? (oh and if you sign up for their HP Instant Ink program when you set up your printer you’ll get 3 months free…and then another 3 months free with code SCHOOL3. You’re welcome.)
- Make a Meal – I still remember the meals that were dropped off by friends right after Madison was born, and the pizza that was delivered from across the country after I lost my job. There is something so comforting about food, especially when the person knows you well enough to make exactly what you like, just the way you like it.
- Care Enough to Share – know someone online who is doing something beautiful and creative and life-changing? Share one of her posts! Whether it’s a blog post, an Instagram photo, a Facebook post, a tweet, your favorite item from her store – write a little bit about what she means to you and let your other friends know why they should get to know her, too. Let her know that you SEE what she’s doing, that her work is valuable, and that you care enough to share.
However you do it today, let’s be intentional with our encouragement, kind with our words, and gracious with our thoughts about others. We can’t fix all the craziness that’s going on in the world right now, but we CAN brighten someone’s day in our own homes or communities. Let’s shine brighter and cast out some darkness, ok?
As an HP Millennial Influencer Panel member, I receive products, promotional items and educational material to use and share as I see fit. However, any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.