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January 1st, 2012 my paternal grandfather, Winfred “PaPa” Hopkins, turned 90! This was a milestone that few people live to see or accomplish. Even more remarkable is only a week prior he renewed his driver’s license.(Left, Papa and I, Summer 2011, Rocky Mount, VA)

Papa is a wise man. It is easy for anyone to dive into the many stories of life he freely shares. A few years ago, he told me about a time when he worked as a boiler man for a furniture factory. His job was to keep the heat at a consistent temperature. A fellow worker observing him once suggested that Papa’s job was easy. It seemed to him, PaPa always had extra time; he indicated that anyone could do the job. So PaPa chal-lenged him to switch positions, and they did. The fellow worker had to work double time, twice as hard for twice as long to get the same job done. My grandfather chided him, “What’s the problem? This is such an easy job remember, why are you working so hard?” The worker couldn’t figure it out, when he did the job it was tough, but for my grandfather it was a breeze. How could this be?

My grandfather revealed his strategy. He never let the fire die down. He was diligent about keeping the right amount of coal in the broiler. It was easier to manage and required less work to keep consistent. He exerted less energy yet produced the desired result.

As he told that story, at the very moment, I knew I had learned a life lesson. When we let things pile up, procrastinate and don’t follow through, we have to work twice as hard for twice as long to get where we should be. On the contrary, if we stay diligent, consistent and on top of things, our labor is less strenuous; our results more rewarding. With diligence comes hard work but prosperity, favor, position and rest come along with it. We mistake diligence with euphoria.

Diligence kicks in when euphoria ends!

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Count the cost: We often bite off more than we can chew. Assess the cost of time, commitment and sacrifice before engaging in long-term assignments. Your adventures should be challenging but not unattainable. Be realistic about what you have to do and plan accordingly. Saying yes too quickly leads to a no in the long run.

Be Encouraged: Discouragement is counteractive to diligence. Once we decide to do something, thoughts of doubt creep in and tell us why we can’t. Exert diligence right now in your thinking and press forward.

“Work hard and become a leader; be lazy become a slave."

Proverbs 12: 24 , NIV

Euphoria is the feeling we get when we start something new. Like when we made all those New

Year’s resolutions. Whether we are starting a new health regime, quitting bad habits, starting a new

business, these all start with great zeal. Somewhere along the way, we fall off and stop all together.

Part of our demise is unrealistic goals the other part is failure to be diligent.

This should be our resolution for the New Year; resolve to resolve. Simply stated, we should

resolve to finish whatever we set out to start. “If a task is once begun, never leave it ‘til it’s done,

be the job great or small do it well or not at all.” When we let the fire die down, it takes a lot to

rekindle the flame. Sometimes, we never get it back.

To start your day off with diligence on your mind, be encouraged to read a chapter of Proverbs.

There 31 chapters; a chapter for each day of the month! Dive into this wisdom.

Keep these three things in mind....

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Commit, Don’t Quit: Schedule your days around your new commitment. Setting this as a priority in your life will aid in your diligence. Enjoy the reward of accomplishment that comes with completion. Find an accountability partner who can keep you on track, nudge when you fall short and celebrate with you when it’s done.

Be Encouraged: When you fail, not that you are in good company. Many successful people attribute their success to their number of failures. Keep trying eventually you will win!

Celebrate the End in the Middle: Seeing your self at the finish line can be the motivation you need to complete your resolutions. Once you have a good momentum going, starting to see results, you may be tempted to slow down or stop pre-maturely. Literally envision your self at the end, done, resolved. Celebrate your success and look for your rewards, it’s coming.

Be Encouraged: Celebration is a necessary part of the process. When we celebrate our accomplishments we reinforce to ourselves that we can and are able to set goals and reach them. Goal setting is just a plan. Don’t be intimated or overwhelmed with the thought of that task. In your planning, schedule in your celebration days!

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus

Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the word of the Lord, knowing that your labor

is not in vain in the Lord.” Psalm 73:26

Be Encouraged! Never let the fire die down!

“My �esh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Psalm 73:26

Be Encouraged is a publication of Assigned to Encourage!™Design and layout provided courtesy of Integrity Designs

All written materials are the original work of the author. Copyright restricted. All rights reserved. Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible -

various versions.

Kira McConico’s universal assignment is to deliver encouragement to the hopeless through her Assigned To Encourage! ™

Words are powerful and can be spoken into dark times and bring light to life's situations.

In addition, Kira is an inspirational speaker. Her target audience is young women ages 17-30. She frequently speaks at area schools, domestic violence shelters and other organizations to encourage young women to pursue their dreams no matter their past.

While her target audience is young women, the message of encouragement is for everyone!

For booking information visit: www.assignedtoencourage.com.