Today’s show (8/24) kicked off a Week of Encouragement for you and your family!

Today, we shared 52 practical and thoughtful ways to encourage others! These tips from www.anextraordinaryday.net will give you a great plan to spread some encouragement to everyone around you.

Click HERE for the full article.

52 Practical and Thoughtful Ways to Encourage Others

1. Who do you love?  Tell your friend or family member you do.  We all need to hear that we are loved.
2. Cheer up one who is discouraged with a hug, spending time with her, sharing truth, giving hope, telling a joke.
3. Encourage someone beginning a new job with the latest motivational or business book in hardcover or on Kindle.
4. Make it a point to do what is good for all.  People notice and appreciate it when you put others’ needs before your own.
5. Some people are most encouraged by acts of service; rake leaves for an elderly neighbor, plant a porch pot and keep it watered, take the garbage to the street each week and return the empty can to the garage after pick-up, walk the dog.
6. Spouses need encouragement.  Leave “Post-it” notes with words of gratitude and love thoughts in special places.
7. Remind one who is struggling in a relationship that God loves each of us with an everlasting love.  He never quits on us, he never gives up on us.
8. Love on your spiritual leaders regularly, by sending her a card or note in the mail, asking him to breakfast or lunch, or offering your time in a helpful way.
9. Be patient with the clerk at the store, especially when there is a long line and challenging customers.  Offer an additional word of thanks.
10. Look out for a co-worker.  Everyone needs someone to be in their corner, to have their back.
11. Pray for someone when they share a hurt or burden.  Right then.  People are more blessed when you pray with them immediately, rather than saying I’ll be praying for you.
12. Do a task normally done by your partner. Just because.
13. Listen to a young person and value their ideas and opinions.
14. Choose to live a life of character and integrity.  It encourages others to stay the course and model your example.
15. Give a gift handmade by you.
16. Encourage a friend to put her hope in God who richly provides everything for our enjoyment.
17. Pick up the phone and take time to listen and encourage someone who lives far away.  Don’t do all the talking.
18. For the one out of work, invite them to dinner, send a gift card to the grocery store or gas station (anonymously?), send a special food gift like Omaha Steaks.
19. Send a short note on Facebook or text message a friend with a few encouraging words.
20. Tell your boss, your pastor, or other leader that you appreciate him.
21. Validate the one you’re speaking with; the one who is sharing their heart may be feeling a lack of self worth. It’s a wonderful thing to be validated by a person you truly like and admire!
22. Freely say thanks for every kindness extended your way.
23. Do you know someone who is going through rough waters?  Secretly send them a card or note everyday for a week.
24. Is there a young couple you know who does not have the luxury of family nearby?  Offer to watch their children so they can accomplish a project or go shopping.  Take it farther and give them a gift card to a restaurant and care for their children while they are out.
25. People rarely get personal mail delivered anymore.  Write or type a long or short letter or note of encouragement and put it in the mail.
26. Let a parent know that you notice their positive parenting.
27. Remind the one who feels alone in their battle of Jesus’ promise, “I will never leave you….”
28. Have a few small gifts on hand to give someone, just because.
29. Be quick to listen and slow to talk.  Sometimes, the best encouragement is a listening ear.
30. Let your friend know you pray for her regularly.
31. Write love letters.
32. Secretly send a gift card for a coffee at Starbucks to the coffee lover with a sweet note.
33. Be encouraging to all you meet. You never know who is having a hard day.
34. Many are starved for human touch.  A hand on the shoulder or similar touch, used with caution, is encouraging.  For some, a hug could be life-changing.
35. Speak life-affirming words.  What are the good qualities you recognize in your friend? Tell them what they are and how they live out those qualities in good ways.
36. When talking with someone, ask them about them and their situation, don’t talk about yourself.
37. If your friend is grieving a loved one, encourage them to talk about the person and listen well.
38. Give words of blessing.  When we bless others, we release the blessing of God on them.
39. Put together a care package.  Who wouldn’t want to receive a tangible box of love and encouragement?
40. Smile.  Often.  A smile can change the trajectory of someone’s day.
41. Extend neighborly kindness and encouragement. Bake and share….especially warm from oven. Have phone numbers of several neighbors so you can go down a list to find one at home to bless with your fresh-baked goodness.
42. Be a positive, joyful person.  We can only encourage, love, and bless others with what we already have.
43. Fill jelly jars with flowers picked from your garden.  Drop by a nursing home with them and bless the residents there.
44. Promote a friend or acquaintance for the things they do. (Including their business).  Everyone needs a cheerleader.
45. Ask someone for information on something they love or excel at and listen closely.
46. Treat your co-worker with something small every now and then: a candy bar, their favorite coffee, a fun pen, etc.
47. Give a sincere compliment.
48. Let someone know they are important to you by turning off your cell phone when someone starts sharing with you.
49. Write down a Bible verse that meets the need of your friend’s heart and send it in the mail, or text it, or post it on their Facebook wall for encouragement.
50. Slip a little card in a co-workers mailbox thanking them or recognizing them for something in the workplace.
51. Find a way to remember to pray for a friend.  One gal who doesn’t get to see her friend often has a pact with that friend to listen at night for the train whistles. It’s their signal to pray for each other.
52. Random acts of kindness have a powerful ripple effect.

And for good measure…two more.

1. Give a toy.  Play is under-rated and helps produce lots of smiles.
2. If you see someone doing something kind for another person….recognize that act.

Day 30 Challenge:  Pick one or two “ways” from the list above and encourage others.  There are a year’s worth of ideas to do, a week at a time, start this week and strategically plan to encourage those within your circle of influence.  Decide to be known as an encourager.