In my off hours, I tutor teenagers preparing for the ACT test. I’m always amazed at how big a difference saying something as simple as “I know you can do this” has on their focus and overall scores.
We’re often covering material they already know. They just need to approach it in new ways and believe in their own abilities. Building trust in themselves is key to reaching their goals.
It’s similar to how we at Unbound approach working with sponsored individuals and families. They know quite well how to survive on minimal means; for many, they’ve been doing it their whole lives. But they have dreams beyond surviving, and with encouragement from sponsors, staff and their fellow sponsored families, they’re turning those dreams into achievable goals.
In the past year, we’ve published stories about elders saving money so they could visit the ocean for the first time, students creating businesses to pay their way through college, and even a former sponsored youth meeting the pope. These are all people who started with a great need and found ways to turn dreams into reality.
For many, having someone in their corner saying “you’ve got this” can be a major motivator. The more they hear it, the more they start to believe in themselves. They start realizing those dreams aren’t unattainable. They start making small changes in their lives that can lead to big changes for them, their families and even their communities.
And it can all start with just a little encouragement.
Copyright 2019 Jordan Kimbrell, Unbound Writer/Editor
Image Copyright: 2019 Unbound.org. All rights reserved.
This article was originally published at CatholicMom.com and is shared here with permission.
