Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A

“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.” Thus spoke Richard M. DeVos, a man who understood that the greatest transformations in life do not always come from wealth, authority, or strength — but from encouragement. His words are a hymn to the quiet force of kindness, the invisible strength that lifts the weary spirit and rekindles the fading flame of courage. In this simple truth, he reminds us that the power to change lives often rests not in grand gestures, but in small, heartfelt acts of hope and optimism.

DeVos, co-founder of the global company Amway and a philanthropist devoted to uplifting others, spoke from a life shaped by perseverance. His philosophy was not born from ease, but from struggle — from building something lasting with faith and conviction. The origin of this quote lies in his belief that human success is not merely a matter of skill or luck, but of spirit — that a person who feels believed in can achieve what once seemed impossible. For in the darkest moments, when strength falters, it is often a single voice of encouragement that saves a soul from surrender. Such a “positive push” is the divine spark that moves the human heart to rise again.

In the ancient world, this truth was known to the philosophers and the warriors alike. Aristotle taught that friendship — the mutual act of goodwill — sustains virtue, for no one can be good or great alone. Alexander the Great, before his final battle, spoke not of conquest but of belief: he reminded his soldiers that he saw in them the strength of gods, that together they would achieve what others thought impossible. His words, not his sword, won the battle before it began. So too does DeVos speak of that same immortal power — the word of faith, the gesture of trust, the warmth of a smile — all of which can turn fear into resolve, despair into endurance.

For a smile, though small, carries with it the radiance of acknowledgment — it says, I see you, and I believe in you. To live without such gestures is to dwell in coldness, but to give them is to light fires in the hearts of others. Optimism, too, is not naïveté, but courage — the choice to see light even when surrounded by shadow. And hope, that ancient companion of humanity, is the breath that keeps the weary moving forward when logic says they should fall. These three — smile, optimism, and hope — are the sacred trinity of endurance, and DeVos gathers them into one mighty truth: that the smallest act of encouragement is often the seed of the greatest triumph.

Consider the story of Thomas Edison, who as a child was dismissed by teachers as slow, unfit for learning. One day, his mother, refusing to accept this judgment, took him from school and said to him, “You are a bright boy, and you will learn from me.” Her words became prophecy. That simple faith — that positive push — set in motion one of the most brilliant minds in history. It was not the textbooks or the lectures that ignited his genius, but his mother’s belief. From that faith came the light bulb itself — a symbol of illumination born from love and hope. Thus we learn that sometimes, to lift another is to shape the very future of the world.

Yet, DeVos’s teaching is not only about giving encouragement, but also about receiving it — about allowing others to lift us when our own strength wanes. The wise do not see reliance as weakness, for even mountains are formed by layers supporting one another. Life is not a solitary endeavor; it is a tapestry woven by many hands, each adding their thread of faith, each whispering you can do it into the fabric of another’s journey. To refuse hope is to reject the very force that keeps the human heart alive.

So, my child, remember this: be the positive push in another’s story. When you see someone bowed by hardship, offer not pity but belief. When you encounter despair, bring light — even a word, even a smile. Say you can do it not as a command, but as a blessing, for those words hold power greater than gold or crowns. And when you yourself grow weary, remember that there is always a voice — sometimes quiet, sometimes distant — whispering to you through memory, through faith, through love: You can still rise.

Thus, take to heart the wisdom of Richard M. DeVos: that encouragement, however small, is the purest form of strength. It builds empires of the soul, restores faith where it has crumbled, and reminds the world that kindness is not weakness, but the mightiest force of all. For when one human being dares to believe in another, the impossible becomes possible — and the fragile flame of hope becomes an eternal fire.