We all need encouragement. Even the most callous, hard headed self made person needs encouragement to stay on track and move forward. This isn’t news - it is something we all know.

Unfortunately many times we don’t take action on what we know.

We can change our habits about encouragement - we can choose to become a more encouraging person. This will have a positive impact on our results and satisfaction in a variety of roles we play in life - from leader to co-worker to team member to parent to family member.

Below are five specific ways that you can become more encouraging starting as soon as you finish reading this article.

Encourage with your eyes. Don’t underestimate the importance and value of solid eye contact. Think about the people you know who always seem to make good eye contact with you. How do you feel about them? Do you feel that they support and believe in you? Do they seem to care more? This is a glimpse at how powerful good solid eye contact can be. Perhaps these people haven’t said anything to give you encouragement, but their presence and eye contact show you anyway. Use your eyes to be encouraging - make eye contact with people.

Encourage with your face. This is perhaps the easiest of all. Smile. A smile is a powerful encourager. It tells people that they are ok. It tells people that what they are doing is ok. For some people smiling comes naturally while others need to be

This is how the conversation went on my follow-up visit to the oral surgeon,
10 days after he removed 2 lower wisdom teeth.

“Go down the hallway, enter the second door on the right and take a seat in
the dentist’s chair,” said the receptionist after calling my name out to the
5 people in the waiting room.

“How is it all going?” asked my oral surgeon slapping on a pair of
examination gloves.

“Great” I replied truthfully. “I’ve been totally pain free since the
operation.”

“You won’t be when you get my bill!” he said in half jest.

“I’ve already paid it and by my calculations, I reckon you’re grossing more
than one and a half million dollars a year in revenue?” I quickly asked
combining my MBA training with years spent questioning people as a
broadcaster.

“You might be right, but I wouldn’t know, I just concentrate on the
patients,” was the last thing he said before I opened my mouth and he
examined the 2 sockets where my wisdom teeth once resided.

“They’re looking good, rinse with salt water regularly and call me if
there’s a problem,” were his last words as I was ushered out.

That was it, all over in a matter of minutes. What is the point of sharing
this with you? Well, I learnt a lot about marketing from the service I
received from my oral surgeon.

Here are my insights and how you can apply these strategies to your own
business, career or life.

1. PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO PEOPLE’S PROBLEMS

Two months earlier I hadn’t been able to sleep because of an intense,
searing pain coming somewhere from

Once again, winter has faded into Spring and Spring has burst into Summer along with Summer skin. Next comes the invincible Summer sun, your skin’s arch-enemy, particularly if you play or exercise outdoors.

Most people know that using sunscreen protection is essential. There are a number of ways to promote a healthy glow without exposing your skin to harmful rays. To help avoid Summer skin when playing or exercising outdoors on a hot, sunny day here are a few tips.

Lightweight and light colored clothing combined with plenty of sunscreen protection on exposed and unexposed skin is a good way to protect yourself.

If overheating isn’t a concern, dark colored, tightly woven clothing is more effective at blocking UV rays. Light colored clothing lets the sun and UV rays reach the skin more easily.

Another barrier against sun damage comes in the form of eyewear. Protect not only your eyes, but also the skin around them by wearing sunglasses that block 90 percent to 100 percent of the sun’s UV rays.

Always wear a hat. Though a cap may be more comfortable for jogging, try a wide brimmed hat that will shade your neck and face while gardening or walking outside.

Now that you know how to protect the skin’s surface, it’s time to start thinking about what you can do to make a healthy glow from the inside out. You’re already off to a good start with some form of exercise, which gets the blood circulating and delivers fresh oxygen to the skin all over