5 Tips for Encouraging Others (and Yourself!)
Inspired by Chapter 2 of my Amazon best-selling book for businesswomen,
The Ambitious Woman: What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One
LIVE AN ENCOURAGING LIFE!
By, Esther Spina, Business Coach for Ambitious Women Entrepreneurs
“I’ve learned people will forget what you said, they will forget what you did, but they will never forget the way you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
Did you know that Maya Angelou served in 2 presidential campaigns, won 3 Grammy awards, AND the Presidential Medal of Arts, without ever graduating high school?
Though she is now known as one of the most successful black businesswomen and female entrepreneurs of all time, having achieved much acclaim for her work as a poet, filmmaker, and author, there was a time when Maya Angelou struggled with racial discrimination and was barely getting by.
Believe it or not, Maya Angelou started as a waitress and cable car conductor before she soared to icon status through her steadfast determination.
Even seven years after her passing, Maya Angelou quotes continue to inspire successful businesswomen to rise above any adversity on their path to greatness. She is a constant source of encouragement to me and finding motivation through legacies like hers is something every businesswoman needs to get through the trying times.
In this week’s blog, I dive into the theme from Chapter 2 of my book for female entrepreneurs, The Ambitious Woman, What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One and go into how, by encouraging others, we continue to receive inspiration ourselves. Read below for a few tips on living an encouraging life.
Tip #1: Take a Moment to Acknowledge The Supportive People In Your Life
Life is busy and it’s easy to forget that we are surrounded by amazing friends and family who support us and help us make important decisions as businesswomen. Being a female CEO or entrepreneur is not an easy road, but by surrounding ourselves with people who believe in us and nurture our dreams, including other successful businesswomen, we soar to higher heights than we can realize alone.
Who supports and encourages you when you need it the most?
I’m sure as you’re reading this you have one or two people coming to mind already. Think of those people, maybe other businesswomen or caring family members/partners who are there for you when you need it the most.
Now ask yourself this — when was the last time you reached out to the most encouraging people around you and thanked them for being a positive influence in your life?
In business and life we get the same kind of energy we put out, and gratitude is important in your journey as a female entrepreneur or businesswoman. It’s important to keep acknowledging those positive connections in your life.
This can be as simple as sending that encouraging person who’s always willing to help you figure out your next steps a quick text to thank them for always being there for you. Or you could take the extra time to send a handwritten “thank you” letter in the mail on your favorite stationery and feel the love as they appreciate your touching tribute to their encouragement. Little acknowledgments like this show those you care about how important their support has been.
I challenge you to reach out to one person this week who’s been influential in your life, or your career as a female entrepreneur/businesswoman and let them know how much it means to you.
Tip #2: Keep Encouraging Quotes From Successful Business Women Throughout Your Home As Reminders to Stay Strong
Take a look at this list of encouraging quotes from successful female entrepreneurs, and copy a few of your favorites down. Put these inspiring quotes for the business woman in unexpected places around your home, like the bathroom mirror, on your computer monitor, or by your coffeemaker, so you stay motivated to keep positive momentum moving forward towards your goals. I like to put them in places where I’ll see them first thing in the morning so I start my day off on the right foot.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day grind that we start to doubt we will ever get to where we want to be. The daily, conscious practice of re-inspiring yourself, by reading inspiring quotes from successful business women and female founders who achieved against all odds, will remind you, “I can do this!”
Tip #3: Show Gratitude for What You Have Overcome and Share Your Lessons With Others
As leaders and female entrepreneurs, people often turn to us when they are down. When we encourage others we uplift ourselves, by acknowledging the lessons we have learned through our own mistakes and struggles. When we take the time to share what we have learned with others, we encourage them to look past their current situation and see the bigger picture. This is also a gift we also give ourselves, because it reminds us of the women we have become and allows us to empower other women through our hard-won knowledge.
Lending someone inspiration reminds us to be grateful for all we’ve been through. The next time another woman is struggling with where she is in her career or life, take a moment to give her some words of support or pass on some advice you were given along the way for how to become a successful businesswoman. I promise it will come back to you tenfold. Pay it forward now and you will always see the return in your investment of kindness later.
Tip #4: Be There For Others When They Need You Most (Even When It’s Not Convenient For You)
How often are you telling the people you love “I’m too busy,” “I don’t have time,” or forgetting to ask what they may be going through when you feel overwhelmed with your responsibilities?
The greatest gift we can give someone is simply our presence and attention when it is needed the most. Often this just means taking the time to be truly present and listen instead of rushing off to the next item on your to-do list. Encouragement can be as simple as picking up the phone instead of thinking, “I’ll call them back when I’m done with this next project.” We have to make time for those people that always make time for us and be there to support them when they need us to.
Tip #5: Get Encouragement & Advice From Successful Businesswomen In My Book, The Ambitious Woman
My goal in writing this book was to give female businesswomen, like you, the motivation, inspiration, and guidance you need to succeed in your career and live a fulfilling life.
I have gathered inspiring stories from other successful businesswomen, as well as my personal stories of overcoming obstacles in my career, from climbing out of the devastating recession that ended my once successful construction business, to becoming one of the top-earning women in my direct sales company. I hope you’ll pick up a copy of this affordable, inspiring collection of women who triumphed over challenges and rocketed to success to inspire you. Encourage yourself and pick one up today!
Speaking of encouragement, the following review on Amazon drove me to keep going forward with my passion to serve women:
“Esther Spina is one of the most dedicated entrepreneurs I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and working with. She does what it takes to achieve her goals. She is willing to do what most people don’t: 1) take action, consistently, and, 2) ask for and implement feedback to improve and progress. Esther is such an incredible representative for women as she isn’t thrown off course because of difficult times or challenges. She just keeps on going… seeing challenges as part of the achievement of her success. I think what I love most about Esther is that she has a heart of gold and REALLY wants others to be successful. I love this book as it really makes you feel like you can do it too. Esther is on a crusade to help as many women as she can and she does it with style, grace, determination and perseverance. This book is a must read for Ambitious Women and those striving to be!”
This totally encouraged me!
Find someone to encourage today and change their life and YOURS.
You can get your copy of
The Ambitious Woman, What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,
1st edition at a discounted rate here:
