
Encouragement goes straight to the heart. In fact, the word itself comes from a combination of the prefix en which means “to put into” and the Latin root cor which means “heart”. Knowing what a big difference encouragement makes in your own life, what can you do to help others to take heart when the going gets tough and the way feels long?
- Tell people how they’ve encouraged you! Learn individuals’ “love languages,” the special ways in which they feel most valued. In his book, The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman explains that not everyone’s emotional needs are met in the same way and that it’s important to learn to speak others’ love languages. The five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.