Encouragement is so important, especially when things are difficult. I think we all crave encouraging words sometimes. Even the most confident of us sometimes need validation and to know that someone is paying attention.
There are times when I feel invisible and almost taken for granted. Mostly, I suppose, I just feel sorry for myself sometimes.
A month or so ago, at work, one of my coworkers said, “Thanks for being you.” I didn’t know what to say, because I hadn’t said anything I thought was particularly meaningful. She was just having a rough day and I listened for a moment, then said something that made her laugh. It was nice to be appreciated for being me, and encouraged me to continue being the best “me” that I am.
Writing is a very discouraging hobby/ job/ calling. Most of what I write gets rejected. Repeatedly. People read my blogs but don’t leave comments, so I don’t know if people love my blog, hate my blog, or just click on it as part of some grand alien conspiracy. I write for myself first and foremost, but sometimes just having someone “like” my blog can be the highlight of my day.
I try to encourage other writers. I visit their blogs and comment. I try to follow people when I like what they’ve written, though honestly, it’s an easy way to spread myself too thin.
“Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.”
-William Arthur Ward
I love this quote, and I really believe it. Sure, we all like to be flattered, but most of us don’t buy it (I don’t). I can’t live on a diet of criticism. I want to be noticed, but instead of complimented, I want to be encouraged. “Thanks for being you” is a comment I won’t forget.
So if you’re visiting me today, thanks for stopping by. And thanks for being you.
Doree Weller 
I can relate to what you say about encouragement and appreciation. I’m not a professional writer, nevertheless, a comment / like on my blog does lift my spirits. That’s precisely why I like the A 2 Z Challenge. it is so amazing to see such a large community of bloggers come together to share and exchange views, and of course encourage each other.
Very true. We’re all in it together. Thanks for stopping by.
Total agreement. Awesome sentiment that I shall pay forward with encouraging thoughts from now on. Also ties into “write what you know” aspect of writing, as we must encourage ourselves to have a unique viewpoint and not be afraid to tell our version of something that may have been covered by another writer. Just because they wrote that space zombie book, doesn’t mean my space zombie book is invalid. Thanks!
Absolutely! I forgot to mention the part about encouraging ourselves, so I’m glad you remembered.
I always read your blogs! Sometimes I skim or skip the ones specifically about books. But I like all the other ones. It is nice to know what you are thinking because sometimes you are difficult to read 🙂
Today a ‘special’ client (for lack of appropriate vocabulary) told me I was a butterfly and that my partner was beautiful because she had all her teeth AND they were real. It was one of the few compliments I had today but it obviously stood out! My partner looked at me and said “hell yeah we’re beautiful”. We should all be encouraging, it is too easy to be negative.
Great post and I totally agree! Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy of every day life and forget about the little things. I also agree with the comment above about encouraging ourselves. I run into people all the time who say “I’ve always wanted to write” or “I wish I had time to write” and I am reminded that we’re doing something awesome by writing these blogs. I know it feels thankless at times but people do read them and more importantly, we’re putting ourselves out there, which is something a lot of people don’t have the courage to do!