Discouragement Reveals Our Courage

Imagine how powerful discouragement is: thus far it's kept us from our dreams. The power of discouragement is available for obtaining our goals (or illuminating a small Southern town) by simply dismissing the dis from discouragement.

Courage, contrary to popular belief, is not the absence of fear. Courage is the wisdom to act in spite of fear. In time, courage becomes the ability to use all the elements of the comfort zone as additional energy to move toward our goal. When we add en to courage, we have encourage. En is a prefix meaning "to be at one with."

We can think of encouragement as a cheerleader. Whereas discouragement says, "Give up! Give up! Give up!" encouragement says, "Keep going! Keep going! Keep going!" or "DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!" (Which is what the advertisements for this book say as well.)

Along the way, expect to be discouraged — to hear and to follow the voices of discouragement. That's to be expected. The goal is not to never be discouraged again. The goal is to (A) catch the discouragement sooner, (B) call it for what it is, and (C) get out of it faster. How do we get out of it? You simply call on encouragement.

Oh, encouragement!

In fact, here's a scene from the play Oh, Encouragement!

SCENE: YOU are about to do something new — a necessary step along the path to one of your dreams. DISCOURAGEMENT has convinced you not to take the step. You call...

YOU: Oh, encouragement!

ENCOURAGEMENT: Yes.

YOU: Over here.

ENCOURAGEMENT: I thought you'd never ask.

DISCOURAGEMENT: (Imitating your voice) I didn't ask. Stay over there where you belong.

YOU: No, encouragement. Come here! That was discouragement talking.

ENCOURAGEMENT: I know. Here I am.

DISCOURAGEMENT: (Imitating your voice) Thank you, now go away.

YOU: Don't listen; that was discouragement again.

ENCOURAGEMENT: I'm not going — and don't you listen to discouragement, either. You can do the thing you want to do. You know you can.

YOU: But I'm afraid.

DISCOURAGEMENT: You know what fear means: "Don't do it!" Everybody knows that.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Fear is the energy to do your best in a new situation. You're in a new situation, so, naturally, you're afraid. Use the energy.

YOU: Oh, right.

DISCOURAGEMENT: Oh, wrong. Besides, if you do it you'll feel guilty.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Quiet.

YOU: But discouragement is right. I will feel guilty.

DISCOURAGEMENT: You'll feel guilty and miserable and you'll deserve to feel guilty and miserable.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Guilt is anger at yourself, and anger is the energy to make changes. Is this something that hurts yourself or someone else?

DISCOURAGEMENT: Yes. YOU: No. It's just new and different. DISCOURAGEMENT: It'll hurt you. YOU: How?

DISCOURAGEMENT: It'll hurt you emotionally. You shouldn't feel uncomfortable. It's dangerous. It can kill you. You can have a heart attack. You can have a stroke. ENCOURAGEMENT: Give us a break.

DISCOURAGEMENT: No. Speaking of breaks, you might break your leg, you might break your neck...

ENCOURAGEMENT: (To you) Is this step you're afraid to take moving you in the direction of your dreams?

YOU: Yes.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Then DO IT!

DISCOURAGEMENT: There you go, advertising that lousy book again. (To you) You're not worthy to do this! Who do you think you are? Do you always have to be so special?

ENCOURAGEMENT: Quiet.

DISCOURAGEMENT: No. I'm going to stay right here and ruin everything. It's my job, and I love it. Even if it wasn't my job, I'd still do it.

ENCOURAGEMENT: (To you) Is this a step toward your heart's desire?

DISCOURAGEMENT: No.

YOU: Yes.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Then you're worthy of it.

DISCOURAGEMENT: You'll fail.

YOU: Yeah, I might fail.

ENCOURAGEMENT: If you do, then you'll learn from the failure, but I don't think you'll fail.

DISCOURAGEMENT: You'll be let down. It will hurt your feelings. You'll feel bad, terrible, miserable, deserted.

ENCOURAGEMENT: You'll be fine. You don't have to respond to anything that happens to you with hurt, and, if you do, you can remember that beneath the hurt is loving. Refocus on the loving and redirect that toward your goal.

DISCOURAGEMENT: You'll be pissed off, furious, seething— you might have a heart attack.

YOU: Heart attack!

ENCOURAGEMENT: Use the energy of anger to make a positive change. Or change the belief you have that people should treat you in a certain way. Beneath the anger is the loving. Go to the loving. You will not have a heart attack.

DISCOURAGEMENT: Will too! Will too! Will too!

ENCOURAGEMENT: Give it a rest, huh?

DISCOURAGEMENT: No, I won't.

ENCOURAGEMENT: (To you) Shall we pull out the big guns?

YOU: Sure.

DISCOURAGEMENT: No! No!

ENCOURAGEMENT: Ready?

YOU: Yes.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Set?

YOU: Uh-huh.

DISCOURAGEMENT: Wait! No!

ENCOURAGEMENT: Go!

YOU: I Love You!

DISCOURAGEMENT. Arrrgghh!

YOU: I love you! I love you!

DISCOURAGEMENT. Stop! Stop! You'll have a heart attack!

YOU: I love you! I love you! I love you!

DISCOURAGEMENT You're crazy! I'm getting out of here. I'll come back when you've settled down. (Exits)

YOU: I love you!

ENCOURAGEMENT OK, so let's DO IT!

YOU: There you go, advertising that book again.

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