CELEBRATE YOUR IMPACT: January Encourager Party

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"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.:

1. Jill Langus (Spain)

2. Karen Axalan (Philippines)

3. Nini Mappo (Kenya)

4. Chioma (Nigeria)

5. Anita Shrestha (Nepal)

6. Tamarack Verrall (Canada)

7. Andrace (E.J.) (Nigeria)

8. Mae Ann (Philippines)

9. Beth Lacey (USA)

10. Ana Isabel Paraguay

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.