Let Encouragement Happen, Then Pass It Onto Others

September 12th is the National Day of Encouragement. This is a day dedicated to uplifting others by making a positive impact on their lives. If you are like me, and you enjoy encouraging others (and I hope you do), you will find more people who will encourage you, as well.

Let me tell you one such story. I was once an athlete — a proud, competitive strong woman who lived for sports and loved playing sports. Being an athlete defined me and competition excited me. However, in 2001 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and all of that changed. MS is an autoimmune disease that can weaken your body and break your spirits.

Not long after my diagnosis, a friend asked me to take the stage and speak to an audience at a local postal event. It was just a small group, with many people I knew, but what my friend didn’t know was that I was petrified. I could pitch nine innings in a stadium full of thousands of strangers, but the thought of standing up in front of 20 people to talk on topic or to recite a script scared me to death.

I could pitch nine innings in a stadium full of
thousands of strangers, but the thought of
standing up in front of 20 people to talk on
topic or to recite a script scared me to death.

I told her that I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it, but she persisted. She encouraged me to do something I was afraid of — though, to this day, I don’t know if she knew how afraid I was. What I do know is that she saw me much differently than I saw myself.

I did give the presentation and, once it was over and I walked off the stage and looked around the audience, I saw smiling faces and even got some high fives. That encouraged me to do it again and again and again, until I yearned for the stage much like the playing field. Public speaking felt just as exciting as hitting a triple to win the game in the 9th inning.

People tell me I am fearless to get up on stage and share my thoughts with audiences. I love to speak in public and meet new people and talk about just about anything. I don’t always feel fearless, but I always come away feeling better about myself because I didn’t let fear get in the way of doing something I love. And that is, to offer encouragement to others that it is possible to see something a different way.

Because I didn’t let fear get in the way of
doing something I love, I can offer
encouragement to others that it is possible
to see something a different way.

MS may have weakened my body and taken me down for a while, but by the grace of God I found some way to accept losing the athlete in me in exchange for gaining the public speaker. Finding something just as awesome to do with my life encouraged me to be uplifted and spread the word.

I hope I have encouraged you to do something you may be putting off that is right in front of you. Go do it. And once you do encourage others to get what they want — they will want to be fulfilled again and again.

Judith E. (“Judy”) Antisdel is Founder and President of AT Direct in Baltimore, Md. She has earned professional designations ranging from US Postal Service Non Profit Specialist to US Postal Service Mail Manager. She is a frequent guest speaker at symposia and workshops offered by the federal government and various non-profit organizations. Connect with Judy.