Dear Friend,

In my last letter, I talked about September being back-to-school season. Although teacher appreciation is not officially recognized until the spring of each school year, I think the beginning of the first semester is a great time to be intentional in encouraging teachers, admins, and all the support staff that it takes to make a school day run smoothly.

But to take it one step further, encouraging others for whatever reason you have on your heart this autumn season, is a worthwhile endeavor.

Encouragement. It’s a big part of my world. Years ago, when I took a spiritual gifts assessment, exhortation came back as my strength. At first I thought, “Wait a minute. I’m not a loud, vocal voice that persuades and gets people to buy in.” But as I dug into what exhortation meant, and saw that it means to encourage others… and even offer comfort.. well things made sense after that.

I’ve been drawn to encouraging others my entire life. I was a cheerleader in school and though I loved the fun and friend part of it, I genuinely loved cheering the teams on. “We’ve got spirit yes we do…“… I was ALL IN ON THAT.

Convos with friends where I got to be the rah-rah girl is a natural, comfy place… my vibe has always leaned toward optimism and positivity.

As a grown up I taught Jazzercise for several years and, when I reflect on this, my joy came more from offering motivation during our hour workout than getting the right cardio or muscle work explained.

And of course offering written words that lift others up has always been my jam. Not always a consistent habit, but always a consistent joy.

When I looked back and saw this thread woven throughout my life, I understood better the spiritual gifts I have been equipped with.

Encouragement has always been a part of me.

Whether this is a natural practice for you or something you have to be a little more intentional about, this article by Harvard Health talks about all the benefits. The umbrella term used is kindness, but having eyes out to others is the root of being an encourager:

​"A genuinely kind person is always on the lookout for how to contribute to the lives of others… In every conversation, you're wondering what you can do or say to be encouraging or helpful."​

So with the full school year ahead, with the last three months of the calendar year to go to finish strong, how can we have eyes out to others to offer encouragement? How can we positively contribute to the life of someone else?

Maybe it’s a simple as writing a letter.

For the teachers and school staff, perhaps you commit to writing one note at the beginning of each month encouraging them for the tasks or challenges ahead.

Maybe you know some one at a place you frequent and they are running their race, but struggling with the mile they’re on. Let them know you see them. Let them know you support them. Encourage them to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Or, a different way to write letters is to take an Open When Approach. Write letters now for a future time that the recipient could open and read at the exact moment that encouragement is needed.

I’m including a stationery sheet below that you could print and use for penning your words.

I’m also including a printable you could use to cut and paste onto envelopes for Open When letters.

Happy Writing!

​
❤️ Jill

​Fall wreath flat stationery.pdf.pdf​

​Open When Envelope Printable.pdf​

P.S If you have a friend who you think may enjoy my newsletter, I’d be so grateful if you would forward this to them.

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