If you could only describe yourself with two words, what would they be?   I’ve thought a lot about this and the two words I think of for myself would be “Hope Giver”.    At times this is a challenge for me because I get very focused on myself, but being a Hope Giver implies that I must be externally focused on other people and their needs.

There are a lot of people that you cross paths with that need some hope.   Perhaps they’re dealing with a broken marriage, or financial troubles, or infertility troubles, or self esteem issues.   You never know until you intentionally get past yourself and focus on the other person.

How can you become a Hope Giver?

Listen.   That’s pretty easy.   Just listen more than you speak.

Encourage.   You don’t need to preach someone a long sermon or even have any answers.  Just say a few words of encouragement to help lift up their day.

Duplicate.   Start teaching others how easy it is to be a Hope Giver and pass it on.

What two words would you use to describe yourself?   How can you be a Hope Giver today?   Share your thoughts.

[image by niznoz]