I Appreciate You

How did you feel when you read the title of this article? When I wrote it, I felt a certain warmth toward the world at large.

Appreciation is thankful recognition. It differs from gratitude in that gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness from within and appreciation is an acknowledgment like a word, note or token that is overtly given. Most times we either forget to express our appreciation or assume others already know they are appreciated or we have just been negligent in that thought process.

Appreciation is a crucial component in relationships of all kinds. In our business world, our employees and co-workers will work much better with us and for the company with regular doses of recognition. Our clients and customers will feel connected with us and will thrive with being told they are appreciated. Showing it doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. Words of praise, whether written or spoken are fine. A token, like a movie pass, reinforces that which we appreciate as well.

In our personal world, many of us with spouses/partners fall out of the habit of regular appreciation of the other. I don’t quite know how it happens that we begin to take for granted the people we are closest to, but it seems to be more of the norm than not. This can happen in relationships with all significant others like children, parents, and friends.

One way to instill a habit of appreciation is to decide to recognize one person every day. It can be as simple as telling your spouse or co-worker something you appreciate about them, or sending a one or two sentence email unexpectedly to someone to recognize their importance in your life, or bringing home a treat to the family to show appreciation for the joy they bring to you. One appreciative action per day for a month can make a large impact in your world. But don’t take my word for it. Give it a try and find out for yourself!

This is the time to let people, as well as our planet, know you appreciate them.