
"Encouragement is like oxygen to the human spirit. Don’t forget you’re carrying someone else’s air. Encourage them; help them breathe.”- Anonymous
The presence of Encouragers on World Pulse made this digital space unique and special. This is why the Encourager Team schedules monthly Encourager Parties to acknowledge and celebrate encouragers.
Encourager Parties take place every last Friday of the month at 2PM GMT. This once-a-month online gathering has been an avenue to honor and appreciate the active encouragers and welcome new attendees. During the 15-minute Party Time, it is awe-inspiring to witness women simultaneously empower women. Imagine how powerful this 15-minute is of women coming together united with a single purpose: TO ENCOURAGE.
We held this year's first Encourager Pary on January 29, 2021. Seeing early birds set up the mood of the party. A shout of appreciation for your punctuality: Jackie Brenda,Hawa Sibide, Ana Isabel Paraguay, Surekha Garg, JoMarie, Mae Ann, Regina Young, Tam Verrall, Sharon Stella Musonza, Gemma Dreher, Busayo Obisakin, Paulina Lawsin, Arrey-Echi, Charlotte (a.k.a. Rosegold), Katie Clarke, and Veronica Ngum Ndi!
Of course, the party won't be complete without our hardworking Team, Director of Community Engagement Dawn Arteaga, Community Engagement Coordinator Manasa Raj, and Mentoring Coach Jill Langhus. For the first time, World Pulse Board Secretary Beth Lacey and Volunteer Consultant Lena Beck Rørvig were there, too!
This event was a momentous one because Dawn announced the Top 10 Most Active Encouragers throughout 2020. This is based on the data taken from this site.:
Karen Axalan (Philippines)
Thank you so much for your time and commitment to actively engage on World Pulse, especially in the midst of the pandemic. Thank you for showing up for our sisters. I personally think it was so sweet of Dawn to include Jill and me on the list. She insisted. :D
We also acknowledged our January Featured Encouragers! They are encouragers who go above and beyond in leaving consistent quality comments to ensure storytellers feel seen, heard, and valued. (Note: The World Pulse Team chooses encouragers with the most number of comments who haven't been featured yet.).
We celebrated Valem (Tanzania), Anum Shakeel (Pakistan), and Kabahenda Kiggundu (Canada). We asked them to read their quotes on what encouragement means to them or why they encourage women on World Pulse. Please check the recorded video of their heartfelt responses. It's great to know the "WHY" behind we encourage each other on World Pulse. Read their awesome quotes here. [If you registered for the event, you will receive the recordings. If not, kindly reach out to me or Manasa so we can share the link with you.] Kabahenda suggested playing the song, "Lean On Me" because to her it speaks about what encouragers are doing on World Pulse. I personally got teary-eyed leaving comments during the 15-minute Party Time while Dawn played the song.
The Encourager Party is also a time where I share tips on encouragement. Here they are:
1. Define what impact means to you as an encourager. One heartfelt comment is already an impact. One strong connection with a World Pulse sister is already an impact. Create a visual representation of that impact. The World Map above (photo) is an example.
2. Celebrate your impact. After leaving a heartfelt comment, celebrate by saying a positive word, for example, "Hurray!", "Victory!", "Success!", "Awesome!". Doing so gives signals to your brain that you did something victorious at the moment. The impact you do as an encourager is worth celebrating!
Break-out sessions give encouragers a chance to share reflections with one another. It's a heart-to-heart conversation on what stories resonate with each one or what stories touch them most.
Our Encourager Party is a one-hour event. It's fun. It's light. It's brief. It's...encouraging! This post doesn't capture everything that took place last Friday. Please watch the recording that Manasa sends in the email this week!
Encouragers or not, we would love you to join us next month. Save the date and time in advance. Consider this as filling your cup, a moment of self-care, and a time to bond with World Pulse sisters because we are stronger together.
Congratulations to the Encouragers! You inspire everyone! keep it up!
Hello, Mary,
Welcome to World Pulse! Nice to meet you here. Thank you for reading and dropping an uplifting comment. We hope you can join us at our next Encourager Party on March 8, 2021, 2PM UTC. It's also International Women's Day.
Thanks, Mary. You rock too!
Hugs,
E. J.
Bravo to all most active Encouragers
Hello, dear Valem,
We missed you at the party! We celebrated you as one of the Featured Encouragers. We hope you can join us next time. It will be on March 8, 2021, as a celebration of International Women's Day.
Thank you so much, Valem. Your bond in the sisterhood made it possible! :
Love always,
E. J.
Dearest Karen,
I am not the least surprised with the list because whenever I read an article submission on World Pulse, I also read all your comments. We are blessed to have you sisters!
Much love and hugs,
Urmila Chanam
India
Hello, sis Urmila,
How are you doing? Thank you for your kind words. I hope you can join us at future Encourager Parties so encouragers can meet you, too! Our next one will be at March 8, 2021, 2PM UTC, exactly on International Women's Day.
Love and hugs!
Hello Kalila:-)
A wonderful synopsis of the Encourager Party, as always:-) Thanks for the special call-outs, and, yes, it was lovely that Dawn insisted that we included on the "top" list.
Thank you, Phoebe! Congratulations again on being the top 1 most active among us all! Yes, so sweet of Dawn.
Phoebe is way better, right? I don't really look like a Phoebe, though.... sigh:-)
Thanks, Love!
XX
You're so funny, Sis! You rock! Hearty congrats! :)
Love,
E. J.
Ha:-) Thank you!
Hope you're well and that you have a great weekend.
Dear Karen,
Waw congratulations to sisters keep up going. I am very happy to participated the party.
Regards,
Suu
Hello, dear Susu,
It was great to meet you at our Encourager Party! Thank you for joining us! Hope you can join us again on March 8, 2021, 2PM UTC as a celebration of International Women's Day!
Dear Karen,
Thank you to this.
also we are celebrating in mogadishu 5 march upto 7 and my world pulse on 8 March, will attend inshaa allah.
Regards
Suu
Thanks, Sis. 'Appreciate. :)
Love,
E. J.
Karen, I was so happy to attend this Party
Hello, dear Beth,
Congratulations again for being one of the top most active encouragers in 2020! We feel so honored that you joined us at the party. Thank you so much for you love, support, and encouragement. You model leadership well for all of us.
Karen,
Good to see you last January 29. Congratulations to all Encouragers and God bless.
Hello, Rojin,
We're happy that you joined that party! Thank you so much. I hope one day we can feature you, too! Keep up the great work!
Thanks, Rojin. See you at the next party dv! :)
Love,
E. J.
Dear Karen,
You lead the way with your messages to us all, always with such love, always seeing deeply into the words we find to encourage each other. This Encourager Program gives us a chance to learn all that needs to be done, to know all that is being done, to have the chance to send some love to each other and in so many ways deepen our connections, creating a magical web of global activism, able to show each other how much we appreciate each other, express how astounding and important the work is. This Encourager Program for me has been the invitation inside this network, and I hope anyone reading this who has not yet decided to become an Encourager will see your message as the loving invitation it is, and jump in.
Much love,
Tam
Hello, Mama Tam,
Congratulations again for being one of the top most active encouragers in World Pulse! I am grateful that you see the value and power of encouragement. You've committed to uplift and support women for many years now. Thank you for your love and consistency. The Encourager Program is also what draws me to World Pulse. It feels great to be able to "words" of encouragement to World Pulse sisters and in return "receive" inspiration while reading their stories. It's always a win-win moment, time well-spent. Thank you for everything!
Hello beloved Karen, wow such a detailed write up. Good Job dear!!!
I join you again in celebrating the top 10 most active encouragers in 2020. Thank you all for your commitment. It requires time and a lot of energy to encourage but it takes love and the good heart you all have to do so.
Great!! on the tips on impact Karen dear.
You all top 10 encouragers are superwomen and the entire World Pulse encouragers rock!!!!
Thank you, dear sis Regina! You surely know the reason behind why I encourage, it's a little way to be a shining light to the nations.
It's true. It does take a lot of time, effort, energy, and "listening" to read posts and encourage sisters. That is why I am grateful to you for setting aside time to uplift sisters despite the circumstances you face in life. You are worth celebrating, too!
lovely to see so many women that makes this place the wonderful thing it is x
Hello, Charlotte,
It was so nice to see you at the party! You are among the women who make World Pulse a place of refuge for women. Thank you for your inspirational posts and for encouraging our sisters here. Hope you can join us again at the next party. It will be on March 8, 2021, 2PM UTC on International Women's Day!
Congratulations to the featured for January; and the best for the year 2020. Here's my loudest HURRAY
In deep sisterhood and solidarity
Marie
Hello, Marie,
Thank you for your kind words! You were one of the Featured Encouragers in 2020. We celebrate you, too!
Blessings ALL!!!! Much Gratitude.
Thank you, Rahmana! Please join us at our next Encourager Party. It will be on March 8, 2021, 2PM UTC. Let's celebrate International Women's Day together!
i really want to . this time i put it on my calendar.
6a my time.
is there a zoom link?
Hello, dear Rahmana,
Here's the link to register for the party: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsceqprDMsGdebtkqOBIcsbN0FJuL...
See you!
Dear Karen,
I like you look as the MC rocking the mike at the meeting. So cute and lively. Keep it going. And BRAVO to all the encouragers. The party is at crazy times for many of us, but it's always fun. The breakout rooms are the best!
Hugs...JoMarie
Thank you for your kind words, dear JoMarie! It was my first time to meet you online, and you look fabulous, considering that it's too early your time!
I agree. It's challenging for me to greet each one in the chat messages. I love listening to reflections during breakout sessions, too. Hope to see you on March 8, a celebration of IWD and Encourager Party at the same time!
Congratulations! You Rock our Encourager guru :)
Congratulations on being one of the top most active encouragers, Mae Ann!
Thank you for your kind words. Wow, Encourager guru is nice term.
Congratulations my dear Karen.
Congratulations to other sisters too.:-)
You all rock!
Love,
Adanna
Thank you, dear Adanna! You rock, too!
Dear Karen,
I agree with you Encourager party is a time to rejuvenate , to connect and celebrate sisterhood and resilience.
Thank you.
Leonida
Hello, Prof. Leonida,
How are you? I miss reading your posts. Thank you for your affirmation. I hope to see you at our next Encourager Party. It will be on March 8, 2021, an IWD celebration!
Dear Karen,
Always great hearing from you.I lost my mom on Christmas 2020.It has been tough adjusting to the loss.That is what has slowed me down.Losing a loved one is never easy , more so a mother.
Kind regards
Leonida
Oh, my dear sister, I'm so sorry for your loss. Yes, it is tough, dear. Please grieve the way that feels right for you. We are just here. Praying for comfort to you and your family.
Thank you dear
Kind regards
Leonida
Hi Kaye,
Thank you for this great piece as I'm so glad to belong. I celebrate everyone most sincerely. It's a priviledge and divine honour to serve. 'Super grateful for all you and others on the World Pulse Team. Yes! We're stronger together and hearty congratulations again and again! :)
Love always.
E.J.
Hello, dear sis E.J.,
We celebrate you! WE are happy you are here. Congratulations to you!Thank you for everything you do for women and girls.