The Mercury – Thursday

The Power of Encouragement

“Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never harm me,” says the well-known little song, despite its vast inaccuracies.

Bones heal. Bones, I believe, can become stronger as a result of healing.

Harsh words, hard, misspoken comments, put-downs, slams, insults, double-edged “compliments” can stay with a recipient forever. They can be replayed, chorus-like, all through a person’s life. I have known people to be inflicted with fresh pain years after a toxic volley has been delivered.

Of course this is so!

I bet you can recall word-for-word what some misguided teacher yelled at you when you were knee high to a grasshopper. You might not still carry the pain, but some do. I’ve met them.

Responsible, accurate, sincere affirmations can inspire a child, guide an adolescent, motivate a young adult, and be a scaffold of continued success throughout a life-time for some people.

Mr. Richard Morey of Northlands Boys’ High School (now Northwood) did this for me.

On day and when I was about 14, he took a minute portion of an essay I had written, circled it, and said, in his dry manner, “Here, do more of this.”

I treasured that red circle, that moment of encouragement, for a very long time and, well, built much of my career on it.