It's totally natural to feel discouraged, especially when you are headed down a path that may only currently make sense to you. Doing what you feel in your heart to accomplish is often a lonely road filled with many moments where you question the very fabric of who you are. There will be times when you just need someone to reach out to you with some encouraging words. For some, that comes, and for others, it may not.

From a young age, I always felt that in order for me to succeed, I had to push myself and encourage myself. If I didn't do it, no one else would, so I made a promise to be that motivating voice for myself. That was one of the strategies that got me through being a young single mom, through high school while juggling a baby, through college while juggling work, and ultimately, to where I am today. Not only did I not rely on others for their validation or their approval, I took it upon myself to really dig deep within and find that inner strength. 

I know what it feels like to not be encouraged by the people around you, so today, I wanted to focus on how to stay encouraged. It's an important part of the journey of life to stay lifted, so not only should we encourage others, we must focus on ourselves and keep the most important person in the room happy - us! If we're not encouraged, how can we make an impact on this world and the lives of others? It's a cycle that starts with you and I.  

Tap into your inner strength.

Seeking outside validation is the fast track toward defeat. Not only will you get disappointed, but you will get drained looking for validation. Instead, be self-propelled and rely on your inner strength to fuel you. If we give people the power to feed us, we also give them the power to starve us. So, avoid being attached to external voices, which may limit you or give you a false identity. You have it in you to stay motivated, pushed, and propelled. Stay focused on that inner voice.

Surround yourself with the right people.

The people you do surround yourself with should be those that have the ability to uplift you, motivate you, and support your undertakings. Once you make that decision, your world will change because your environment will change. Not only does this include the people physically around you, but your online crowd as well. Flood your social media accounts with motivational content by following leaders and people that inspire.

It's also important to never adapt who you are for someone else or let anyone belittle you, your dreams, or your aspirations in exchange for making them feel comfortable. Instead, seek uplifting relationships and let go of tolerating people that either don't value you or can never step outside of themselves for a moment. You'll be surprised by how many people are out there that will actually support and encourage you because they are confident in their own journey.

Give of yourself.

Build your network around the idea of giving and it will be so rewarding. When you help others, not only does it feel amazing, but you will start to build authentic relationships. Taking our sights off of ourselves sometimes is so important because it allows us to set aside our personal issues for a moment leading us to feel fulfilled with a greater work.

When you discover other people's journeys, you'll start to be encouraged by their story, too. They will inspire you and it will be encouraging to know that you're not the only one going through certain challenges. You'll have the right people to relate to and be able to uplift each other.

Work your tush off. 

There's nothing better than immersing yourself in your passion and blocking out all of the noise and distraction that can cloud our judgement at times. When you simply commit to what makes you happy, not only will you be filled with joy, but you'll be filled with contentment. Focusing on your work can bring so much reward and it will drown out any other voices. Working on your craft will also encourage you to keep at it and put in more work. Every day you will feel like you're walking in your purpose and fulfilling your dreams.

Stay inspired.

Staying inspired every day builds a momentum that only keeps growing. When you focus on creating, coming up with new ideas, projects, planning, and the like, you will be too occupied with the good stuff to be distracted by the bad. When you are inspired, you are happy - and that radiates to other areas of your life. 

These are five ways that I have found to be absolutely encouraging in my journey. However, there are still so many other ways to stay encouraged - like having a tub of chocolate ice cream on standby. Who doesn't feel better after ice cream? 

I think the main thing here is to just keep doing what you love to do, and by that, I mean everything. Once you get that ball rolling, it becomes easier to tap into that inner voice that says, "You know what? You're the bomb!" Ok, corny, I know. Haha! Stay encouraged, my friend. I'm here cheering you on!

Speaking of getting the ball rolling, here's an inspiring read that I think you'll like. 

What ways do you stay encouraged? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!