With the current inclement season of stuffing your face and Facebook statuses listing things one is thankful, I can't help but think about appreciation and thankfulness. Truth be told: I think appreciation is one of the most important things that we human beings understand and spread. Through our appreciation of each other, we are able to celebrate and understand each other better. Additionally, by acknowledging and appreciating what we have in life, we are able to realize the bountiful life that we live.
It can be incredibly difficult to practice appreciation during certain times. For example, if you are locked out of your house and have to wait outside in the rain, it is hard to appreciate that situation. However, Appreciation Station: you have a house to be locked out of. It is all about perspective and at times optimism, but I think that these things grow from appreciation.
At work recently, I was asked to go through and review my 5 core values. Now, I had a lengthy list to gander at, but I kept coming back to appreciation, and appreciation became my top value overall. I know that we aren't going to disagree that appreciation is important. I know this, but I think we often forget how important it is to say what we are thankful for. November shouldn't be the only month that we practice appreciation. It should be an element to our very being that we don't even think about it. Looking at the world with the spirit of appreciation is such a tranformative experience because it allows you to see how great things really are in your life. We can't just sit around and discuss how important it is. We need to actively act.
Today, when you are going for a walk or a drive, list as many things that you are thankful for that you can think of. Do not stop until you can no longer think of things that you are thankful for. If you feel inspired, ask others or tell others your appreciation for them. You know why? They will appreciate hearing that you appreciate them. You will be surprised at how this simple act of listing what you are thankful for is. You WILL look at the world with a different lens. If you feel like going crazy, try doing this more than today and carry it with you. It can be your new commute tradition.
Let's take care of ourselves and appreciate the little things and recognize the big ones,
Autumn
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