Live Inspired Vlog 191: Encouragement Matters

How the right words, at the right time, can transform lives

Do you think that encouragement matters? Yes or no.

Yes or no.

You know, I am absolutely convinced, not only through my experience as a patient, but my experience going through life, my experience starting a business or struggling sometimes in that business, struggling sometimes in relationships, but I’m convinced that encouragement at the right time can transform our lives.

AND that our encouragement to someone else can elevate and absolutely transform his or her life.

If you don’t believe it from me, then take it from Jonathan Cain. Jonathan Cain was a kid who grew up in Chicago. He was always into music. He fell in love with the accordion first, then eventually the piano.

He moved out to California to catch his big break in the music industry, but as we all know, that’s almost impossible to land.

So, after months and months and months of rejection and failures and not getting what he hoped, struggling mightily in life, he called his dad and said, “Dad, I’m giving up. I’m coming home.”

And his father said, “No, you can’t.”

His dad said, “I’m going to send you a little something in the mail that’s going to keep you afloat for the next couple months, but I want you to keep going. I want you to keep believing. I want you to keep fighting for this dream.”

A few days passed, Jonathan went out to the mail and there inside the mailbox was a letter from his dad, a check for several more months of rent so that Jonathan could stay out in California, and the final words that his father wrote to him were these: Johnny, don’t stop believing.

Well those words were so meaningful that Jonathan wrote them down in his journal. He followed through on the advice, don’t stop believing. He kept playing the nights, playing the days, working hard, sweating forward, believing that there was something for him out there.

Eventually he got an opportunity with a band that lead to another opportunity with another band that led to a third opportunity with a little band you may have heard of, called Journey.

Music history was created when Journey found their keyboardist, a young man from Chicago named Jonathan Cain.

He helped not only play the keyboard for the guys, but helped draft the music for these guys, and his first big, massive song, was a little one you may still know called “Don’t Stop Believin.”

He credits his dad for not only helping him keep living into that belief, but for helping him pen those important words that turned out to be the biggest song of Journey’s career. A song that you and I can rock out at the karaoke bar, but we also gotta believe in our own lives, too. Don’t Stop Believing! Hold onto that feeling, my friends!

I think it’s good advice for us on this Wednesday morning to follow. I know it was important for Jonathan Cain back in the early 80s, but I think it’s relevant today as we move forward through struggles, through challenges in relationships, finances, work-life balance. We gotta keep believing that the best days are in front of us.

If you want to learn more about the epic, unbelievable story of Jonathan Cain and Journey, check out our Live Inspired podcast. He’s who we interview this week. It’s a remarkable, emotional, beautiful episode.

You’ll hear his story. You’ll hear his music. It will turn you on for life. So, check it out at Live Inspired with John O’Leary anywhere you pull down your podcasts.

My friends, I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday.

For this time and until next time, don’t stop believing. Hold onto that feeling.

This is John.

And this is your day.

Live Inspired.

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