Just a little encouragement

Do you know that some of the greatest success stories in history have been preceded by a word of encouragement or an act of confidence by a loved one?

Let me tell you one such story.

Nathaniel went home a broken-hearted man. Feeling sorry for himself, he told his wife how he’s such a failure for getting fired from his job in a customhouse. Nathaniel was taken aback by his wife’s reaction when she heard the news. She actually cried out in joy.

“Now,” she said triumphantly, “You can write your book!”

Nathaniel grew even more worried and said, “And what shall we live on while I am writing it? Where would the money come from?”

His wife, Sophia, opened a drawer, and to Nathaniel’s amazement, pulled out a substantial amount of money.

“Where on earth did you get that?” he exclaimed.

And then the powerful words of encouragement came out:

“I have always known you were a man of genius. I knew that some day you would write a masterpiece. So every week, out of the money you gave me for housekeeping, I saved a little bit. So here is enough to last us one whole year.”

It was the love, the confidence and the encouragement of a wife that has given us the great name Nathaniel Hawthorne in literature and the masterpiece “The Scarlet Letter.”

Do you know how crucial the role of a spouse is in breaking or making the success of the partner?

I’ve seen men slug it out in the work place, pouring out every bit of idea, skill and brawn they got in work and business, only to come home in the evening without any word of encouragement at all from their loved ones residing in their very own households. What’s stranger is that some men get even more affirmation and encouragement from the people at the bar than from their wives. What they do get from their wives are accusations and words of shame. And this constant assault on their self-worth leaves them drained of strength, empty of motivation and lacking in the will to continue the race for success.

I’ve seen wives competing against their husbands for worth and attention; on the other side of the coin, I’ve also seen how some dumb-witted husbands would embarrass their wives by calling them fools in public just because they have been serving faithfully in their homes and are not very much exposed to the world outside. Constant put-downs and the lack of encouragement lead to failed marriages and broken homes.

A conversation between the husband and the wife:

Husband: “When I married you I didn’t realize you had such a low IQ.”

Wife: “I know, and that’s why I married you.”

Words like these do not help build relationships.

As we slug it out in the market place, we will see firsthand that the battle in the field is intense. Oh how sweet it is to come home and enjoy the encouragement of the family where peace and joy prevails. There is great power in encouragement. Even the Bible speaks about the subject matter constantly, counseling that we are to encourage one another.

Long after the glitz and glamour of business and career are over, the bare essentials would reveal that, second to our relationship with God, our relationship with our family still matters greatly.

(Attend Francis Kong’s one-day life changing seminar “SUCCESS THROUGH EXCELLENCE” on Aug. 13, 2010 at the SMX Convention Center. For registration and tickets, call Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. at 632-6872614 or 09178511115.)