“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.” — Mark Twain
15 years ago, at a Burger King restaurant in Omaha, NE, I sat across the table from an important mentor in my life named Rudy. I had questions about my future. Specifically, I had doubts about a path I had chosen with my life. I needed some encouragement to continue.
After describing the emotions and fears I had been experiencing over the past several months, Rudy responded with a simple statement, “I think you can do it. In fact, there is no doubt in my mind that you can accomplish what you are seeking. I have complete confidence in you.”
15 years later, I still recall that specific conversation as one of the most influential moments in my life. Not because it solved my problems or eliminated the hard work ahead of me. But because it gave me the one resource needed to persevere: hope.
Hope is one of the greatest assets in the entire world. It is one of the greatest treasures we can ever find for ourselves. And it is one of the greatest gifts we can ever give to somebody else.
Hope provides us with motivation to persevere. It calls us to dream dreams of significance and influence. It begs us to work diligently with optimism and promise.
And as I discovered that Tuesday afternoon on 114th and Dodge, hope is often found in the relationships we have secured around us. After all, when hope in ourselves begins to diminish (as it will at times), we must look elsewhere. In those moments, we look towards those around us for confidence and hope.
Surround yourself with people who speak confidence in your life. Nurture relationships with optimistic people who have overcome trial and hardship. Remove people from your direct sphere of influence who discourage you, trample your creativity, or who are so self-absorbed they never help others. Instead, seek people who inspire and believe in you.
In turn, do the same for others. See the good. Believe in potential. And encourage daily.
Sow hope in the soul of everyone you meet. (tweet that)
Image: Aah-Yeah
Jules says
Thank you for daily inspiring just that… hope… in change, people & where it matters most, right here in my heart!
Andi-Roo (@theworld4realz) says
THIS! Thank you. Am sharing so others can feel the hope, as well! :)
Elizabeth says
What beautiful words of wisdom! Thank you for your thoughts regarding the importance of hope and how to share it with others. I so enjoy your postings and always feel enriched by them.
Becky Blanton says
No one is too young or too old to hear these words. I love the idea of shedding negative people. Simplifying one’s life is also about simplifying one’s relationships. Thanks!
Kate says
You must be a “carpenter of relationships”, Becky, as you have certainly nailed one of the easiest ways to simplify life. The peace of less chaos, fewer putdowns, less conflict and subterfuge is worth it.
Joy says
Beautiful. Thank you. A few months ago, a mentor was the first to tell me, ‘shine. as brightly as you are capable of. I can take it. as a matter of fact, I want you to. bring it on’. Powerful. So, I am (shining that Light). Reflections like this one amplify it!
TB at BlueCollarWorkman says
It really is amazing what a few words of encouragement can do. And if those words come from someone who really knows you, it means even more. It’s also amazing how being around negative or mean peopel can really bring you down for the long haul… pay attention to who’s around you!
Brown Vagabonder says
I totally agree with this post – there are too many of us who are way too eager to bring people down. We are ready to sow doubt, and negativity in others. We do not want others to succeed, we want to keep them at the same level as us. We are afraid they will get above us, and then we might lose them as friends or we will be forced to move upward with them. Whatever it is, you have to be careful about the kind of people who surround yourself with. You become like the 5 people you associate with most. Thanks for the post!
Hana says
Hey Joshua, nice post! I’ve been reading your blog for a while and it’s been a great motivator for me. In the past two years, I’ve been naturally becoming a minimalist and after that I realized there are so many people who want to live and share this kind of lifestyle. Your site has become one of my favorite resources and I find it very encouraging. Thanks for sharing again.
Tim says
Thanks for sharing this with us, Joshua. I needed to hear this today.
tVM says
One of the basic obligations in life, and one of the core messages in Francis of Assisi’s prayer: “Where there is despair, let me sow HOPE.”
Daniel Aipa says
I really like that quote, I’m going to put that down in my notebook for references.