While my son ran the 5km park run, I was using it as sprint training. I’d set small markers along the path: pick a point, take off, recover, repeat.
As the final kilometre approached, my breathing was heavy and fatigue had well and truly set in.
This time, I set the next marker further away than usual.
Almost immediately, doubt crept in.
Part of me was saying, that’s too far. Make it closer.
But I justified it. I am meant to be rested when I sprint. It is short and sharp, I told myself. Even though I knew I was trying to build endurance for longer sprint races, and discomfort was part of the process.
As I walked slowly to catch my breath, a lady ran past me.
As she passed, she turned slightly and said:
“Your sprinting is impressive.”
She didn’t stop.
She didn’t wait for a response.
She just kept running.
But in that moment, something shifted.
A surge of energy rushed through me — the kind you don’t plan for and can’t explain. Suddenly, the fatigue felt lighter. I set the next sprint marker closer. I took off again.
Those few words cost her nothing.
But the impact on me was immediate.
She didn’t have to say anything. She could have stayed in her lane, focused on her own run. Yet she chose kindness. She chose encouragement. And she would never know what it unlocked in me that day.
It made me reflect on how powerful it is to truly notice people.
So often in life, we are corrected. We receive constant feedback on what we could do better, what needs fixing, where we are falling short. That kind of feedback has its place — but when it’s all we hear, it becomes heavy.
Encouragement is different.
Encouragement is about recognising effort.
About seeing someone in the middle of trying.
About acknowledging what is going right.
It doesn’t need to be long. It doesn’t need to be polished.
It just needs to be genuine.
As we move into 2026, I want to put a simple challenge out there.
Slow down just enough to really notice.
Notice your kids when they are trying — not just when they succeed.
Notice your partner for the unseen things they carry every day.
Notice your family, your friends, your colleagues.
And yes — even strangers.
Say something kind. Say something encouraging. Say something honest.
You may never know the impact of your words.
But someone else might find the energy to keep going because of them.
Just like I did.
Before you go, I’d love to hear from you.
Have you ever had someone say something small that made a big difference for you?
Or have you been the one who offered a few words that lifted someone else?
Leave a comment below and share your moment.
You never know — your story might be the encouragement someone else needs today.
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