Encouragement and Persistence

 Encouragement and Persistence

"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to it until you get there.”
Harvey Mackay


This week two things reminded me of the importance of both encouragement and persistence.

I was helping a 2nd grade girl with penmanship and sound-blending words. She had many learning difficulties and found writing and following instructions very difficult. As we do with all of our students, I kept encouraging her to form the letters correctly and make the sounds of the words without stopping her voice. After awhile she began to succeed. A glow came over her when she realized she had finally spelled the words correctly by sounding them out and writing them correctly. It was only her second day at Stilwell' Learning Center and she was already feeling more confident.

Another time this week, while I was in the grocery store, a parent of a former student proudly told me her son was now taking pre-med courses at the university. This student had also needed much encouragement and training in persistence.

If you are in a position to encourage a child, a young person or even an adult, just think how it might influence him/her. You are an important person in the life of that person.


Location: Sierra Vista, AZ, USA

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