Healthy encouragement is one of the most underestimated influences for our life journey. Thankfully, encouragement is everywhere if you know what to look for:

Family

We often rely on family for emotional support and advice. However, it is not true that those closest to us can always encourage us in the right way. Even the most heartfelt advice and encouragement from family will be colored by their own mindset, biases and flaws. They also have their own ways of dealing with challenges that may sound great to them, but simply do not apply to your own struggles. Without understanding this, we risk mistaking a shoulder to lean on with good advice and encouragement.

 I am blessed to have an amazing family. My parents made their family a true priority, supplying everything my sister and I needed. They never acted like my situation was an impediment and we even went to places like Santa Barbara and Disneyland. As I grew up, they supported my transition from a school for the disabled to a mainstream school and helped me with my studies and made sure I had a great social life. More importantly, they let me make my own decisions, when appropriate. While they were initially skeptical when I wanted to attend college, they supported my decision and have always backed my endeavors as a writer and a speaker.

Friends

There’s nothing like hanging out or laughing with good friends. I was always comfortable with myself and if people were uneasy about my disabilities, I knew how to make them feel more comfortable. My trick was to talk about something that interested them or crack a joke. I simply love people. When I’m not working, I enjoy hanging out with the guys – especially when we head to Las Vegas. Everything good in life takes effort, including maintaining friendships – so remember to send that text or book the next catch-up, you won’t regret it.

Mentors

I’ve had amazing mentors. A good mentor is a role model who has trodden the same path you plan to take. Someone you want to emulate no matter how strong your opinions. In college, I my first major mentor was Dr. Jerry Fecht. Jerry is a romantic who oozed energy and curiosity for life.

Another of my mentors at USC was James “Jim” Ellis. Jim was not an academic. He came from the corporate retail world. Jim and I have enjoyed many deep and helpful conversations over the years, and he introduced me to a screenwriter who taught me how to put a book together. A speaker named Frank Miles was also integral to my speaking career. He introduced me to the National Speakers Association and Larry Winget. I read a lot of Larry’s books and followed him on social media. I managed to wrangle a ticket to an intimate roundtable with Larry, Joe Calloway and ten other impressive public speakers. I even went to Larry’s house for a dinner party! It was the best time of my professional career. And I couldn’t have done any of it without my great mentors.

Coaches and Consultants

No one can elevate your performance or push you to be better quite like a performance coach. A good coach or consultant will point out what you can’t (or won’t) see, such as more-efficient processes or roadblocks holding you back. Athletes can have all the drive and skill in the world, but only a coach can teach them a game-winning. Same goes for those with business aspirations Consultants can identify the next steps and encourage us to do better.

Leaders and Influencers

People at the top of their industry become leaders and influencers. They create YouTube videos, blogs, books and speak at events to pass on their methodology so others can follow their path. Leaders and influencers set the tone of success in every sector by encouraging people to do better.

Therapist

At some point, everybody must find time to engage with a psychologist or therapist to help reveal any barriers holding them back. I can’t recommend it highly enough. A good therapist will also help you react more appropriately to life’s ups and downs as you pursue your goals. 

Support groups

Meeting up others with similar challenges or goals can be hugely rewarding. Such groups are about supporting and encouraging members to do better with what they have. The best-known of these groups is Alcoholics Anonymous. One of its main goals is to help their members avoid relapses to addiction and advise them on the right life actions to stay healthy. A Mastermind group also brings together people with similar journeys, goals, aspirations and challenges.

Colleagues

Becoming amazing is a team sport. The proper team can relieve pressure and allow you to take on larger goals with more energy and focus. But the key is to surround yourself with the right people. Even a good babysitter can make a world of difference.

We are all influenced by the voices we hear. Inspiration and motivation are crucial to amazing success and the fueled by who we let into our lives. Achieving our goals requires finding the people who encourage us to take the right actions. So, what are you waiting for? Send that catch-up email to your friend or call up your mentor for some advice! You won’t regret it.