Against seeming great odds, Winston Churchill in World War II stayed encouraged and encouraged a nation to victory. Here are some of his quotes that speak to me when it I am losing or on the verge of defeat: 

1. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference - maintain a positive attitude.
2. To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often'- practice continuous improvement.
3. 'Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm' - maintain your passion.

Great leaders find ways to encourage themselves and others. They know discouragement is a giant we all face. 

What is discouragement? It is a loss of confidence or enthusiasm; it is being dispirited. Four sources of discouragement are fatigue, fear,  failure, and frustration. Discouragement can contribute to many negative tendencies like:

• Procrastination
• Laziness
• Oversensitivity to criticism
• Giving up commitments
• Addictive behaviors

We all face some level of discouragement. Here are four keys to stay encouraged:

1. Thankfulness - Count your blessings and past victories. 
2. Renew your mind with what is true - Our hope, joy, and peace increase by renewing our minds with truth instead of lies. 
3. Attach faith to who you are and what you are doing - Much tiredness results from believing we are not significant and what we are doing is not significant. 
4. Encourage others - It is much more difficult to be discouraged when encouraging others. 

Which of these four is the most important for you to take your encouragement to another level? What are specific steps you can take concerning this key?