I read something about Thomas Edison and had to verify it because, as Abraham Lincoln said, “don’t believe everything you see on Facebook.”
The post described how, as a young lad, Thomas came home from school one day with a note from his teacher. According to the story, Mrs. Edison, with tears in her eyes, told young Thomas that the note described him as “brilliant” and that the school didn’t believe they could teach him well enough. She said the note encouraged her to teach Thomas at home from then on. Which she did. Of course, as an adult he became known as one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century.
The post then went on to say that years later, after Thomas’ mother died, he was going through some of her papers. He came upon that teacher’s note and read it. The note actually described him as “addled” and that the school didn’t want him there anymore. In his writings of the event, he calls his mother a “hero.” Yes she was. She knew him better than anyone and she knew that he was different than the other kids and also highly intelligent. She believed in her son.
This resonates with me for several reasons, not the least of which is that my son was labeled “learning disabled” and I was told he should learn a trade because he would never make it in college. Once he had his BA safely in hand, I told him about that advice and he was pretty shocked. He was also very proud of proving “them” wrong and has a stronger sense of confidence about what he can achieve. People tell me I’m a great mother, but all I did was believe in him.
Here’s the thing: if you tell someone they can’t do something – especially a child – they will tend to believe it and not try at all. If you tell a child to do what they love and the success will come, they tend to work harder to follow their dream.
The same philosophy applies to adults. Motivate your employees, colleagues, and friends to follow their dreams. Tell them to set the bar high for themselves. If you can lift people up rather than discourage their efforts, most will rise to the occasion. Act as a catalyst for success whenever the opportunity arises. And, guess what? It feels so good! You gain so much by simply using the power of encouragement.
By the way, my son now has his Masters Degree.
Helster777 