On the Trail of Encouragement

When folk ask you to talk about your 'thing'

We were asked to speak about the Encouragement Manifesto at an amazing trail running and music festival called Love Trails. We were thrilled to say ‘yes’. Nervous, slightly scared, but thrilled. We’ve had some time to reflect on the opportunity and what we learned from the experience. Oh yes, the other thing … we cycled to a beautiful part of Wales for the festival … but we live in France. A 1000-mile bike ride offers plenty of time and space for reflection.

From France to Wales and Back Again

So, in this post (our first for far too long) there’ll be a list of thoughts, then a reminder about what this Encouragement Manifesto is all about … finally, a nudge about the Encouragement Sessions because we’ll be inviting you to sign up for one of the free mentoring calls we’ll be making in September.

Let’s get into the good stuff.

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Reflections on saying ‘yes’ to the things that scare you:

1. It is never as bad as you imagine.

2. There will be some folk in the room to listen to your talk (read your story, join in with your class etc) … they came to the festival (gathering, event) for your sort of thing, not just the cool DJs and crazy trail running.

3. People will ask you to speak about your ‘thing’ precisely because it is a thing whether you believe it or not.

4. No one has a monopoly on encouragement. It is our superpower but it is yours too. Literally, go out and encourage someone today!

5. Nothing epitomises encouragement more than hopping on your bikes and committing 11 days to pedalling from France to Wales to talk about it. Never underestimate the power of action as well as words.

6. Folk who book encouragement sessions have usually engaged with us online. That builds a connection, a rapport … a lot of trust. In many ways, it is what makes the sessions work. It is WAY harder to go from a ‘standing start’ during a weekend that is set up with loads of other distractions.

7. One person was booked in for a session by their partner - ‘because it would do them good’ - people need to decide that for themselves *.

8. Have your ‘elevator pitch’ ready because not everyone knows who you are and what they’ve booked themselves in for.

9. Smile when you come out on stage … it’ll put both you and the audience at ease. In fact, smile … always … a lot … as much as you can.

10. Leave time to take part in other folk’s stuff … celebrate it … because even though you’ve been asked to speak it is not all about you (reminder to me).

11. Don’t give up on being asked to speak about your thing … and if no one is asking, talk about it anyway.

    * that session didn’t happen in the end

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It feels like a long time since we wrote down the values we placed at the heart of the small business we had just closed. We wanted to see what had made our coffee shop/deli the kind of place folk liked to hang out in … what made it the sort of place we loved to hang out in.

We created a list of 10 values and made it our manifesto for a life well-lived, our life of adventure and curiosity.

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It turned out that other folk connected with the values; along the way they have gifted us words about particular values that resonate. More than that, the values seem to create a bond of trust between us and the folk who discover our little community of encouragers. That trust manifests itself most in the people who book themselves in for an Encouragement Session, one-hour Zoom calls that offer energy and enthusiasm as well as ‘permission’ to do more of the things that lift us, more of the things that bring us joy.

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Tell us a little more about these Encouragement Sessions, we hear you say. Well, how about we explain through the words of the people who’ve booked in for one:

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So that was our ‘Summer of Encouragement’ … 1000 miles of encouragement to ourselves to keep moving, a couple of talks, a handful of one-to-one chats with folk who needed to hear positive words about their ideas and plans for life, and some time to reflect on the experiences.

Being asked to talk about encouragement reminded us that what we quietly offer is something worth doing. There are always people who need to hear voices that lift them up to counter any ‘foghorns of disapproval’ that threaten to drown out the possibilities.

Maybe you need a lift, what we call “a handful of tangfastics for the soul”, Maybe you’ll be in touch to book yourself in for an Encouragement Session in September. Buzz us a note at feastsandfables@gmail.com

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Not sure about why this enthusiastic beardy fella is offering FREE mentoring? Wondering if there is a catch?

Why not check out these two interviews to get to know the human behind the offer? Thanks to

Sarah Salway

and

Sarah Farley

for the kind invitations to chat.

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Everyday Words with Sarah Salway:

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The Writer’s Walk with Sarah Farley:

Walking with Barrie Thomson, encourager

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Now, who will YOU encourage today?