Believe in Them First

Have you ever accomplished something you never thought possible because someone else believed in you first?

What if the words you almost didn’t say became the reason someone else kept going?

As a young Little League baseball player, I was a pretty good fielder but a very weak hitter. I was so afraid of failing that I became hesitant to swing the bat. One coach even suggested that my best chance of success was not swinging at all because my odds of getting a hit were lower than my odds of drawing a walk.

The problem wasn’t my talent. The problem was my belief.

I was afraid to fail.

Then one day something happened that changed everything. I went 4 for 5 in a game. For most players, it was just a good day at the plate. For me, it was proof that I was capable of more than I believed.

That single experience changed my perspective. I began to trust myself, play with more confidence, and ultimately went on to enjoy a moderately successful baseball career through high school.

Years later, I found myself struggling in a college class. A professor pulled me aside and said something simple but powerful. He told me I was very intelligent and capable of succeeding. Those words changed how I saw myself and turned around my performance in the class.

Not long after, when I failed to make the basketball team at West Point and was seriously considering leaving the Academy, several people I respected encouraged me to try out for a club sport instead.

Their encouragement led me to Team Handball, a journey that eventually allowed me to compete at the national level and represent my country in international competition.

Looking back, I can see a common thread running through all of those experiences.

Someone believed in me before I fully believed in myself.

As leaders, we have both the power and the privilege to do the same for others. Sometimes all a person needs to get over the hump, overcome a limiting belief, and discover what they are truly capable of is a word of encouragement. They need to know that someone believes in them. They need someone willing to help them see possibilities they cannot yet see themselves.

Your encouragement may seem small to you.

To someone else, it may change everything.

Who encouraged you at a time when you needed it most?

Whose confidence could benefit from your encouragement today?

Is there someone on your team who needs belief more than advice right now?

CHALLENGE
Before the day is over, intentionally encourage one person. Let them know what you see in them and what they are capable of becoming. Your words may be the catalyst that changes the direction of their life.