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Today's
quotation:
A habit
for all of us to develop would be to look for something to
appreciate in everyone we meet. We can all be generous
with
appreciation. Everyone is grateful for it. It
improves every human
relationship, it brings new courage to people facing
difficulties, and
it brings out the best in everyone. So, give
appreciation
generously whenever you can. You will never regret it.
Carl Holmes
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Today's
Meditation:
It's
very easy not to show appreciation, to take things for
granted. So many people do so many things for us
that we never thank them for, yet our lives wouldn't be
nearly as rich if they didn't do the things they do.
From the people who deliver our mail and packages to those
who stock the shelves in the stores to the teachers we've
had and the people who haul away our garbage, our lives
are full of people who deserve our appreciation, yet to
whom the vast majority of us never, ever express that
appreciation.
Our
appreciation is much stronger when it is expressed, when
we share it with those whom we appreciate. If we
keep it in, it serves no purpose at all and contributes
nothing to the positive energy of the world-- and in this
day and age, we can use all the positive energy that we
can possibly gather. When our appreciation is
sincere and sincerely expressed, we're letting others know
that their efforts haven't been wasted, that what they've
done has made a difference to someone in the world, even
if in a very small way.
I
find myself rather often walking away from situations
thinking how nice or how helpful a certain person was, and
then asking myself, "Why didn't I tell that person
that I appreciate their kindness?" I don't want
to do that. I want to share my appreciation when I
feel it, and I want to do so clearly and immediately as
often as I can. It's just one aspect of my life with
which I can contribute positively to the world and the
people in my life.
Sincere
appreciation can be one of the strongest things that we
share with others, and it's pretty easy to do as long as
we stay mindful of the fact that we do appreciate what
others are doing for us. Let's make it a part of our
daily lives to be mindful of those things we appreciate,
and to share that appreciation with those people who have
made our lives easier or richer.
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For further
thought:
Appreciation is the oil that lubricates
life and keeps your wheels turning
easily and freely. Without appreciation, your wheels
will still spin, but they
are apt to become rusted with resentment and
exhaustion. Since there is
great truth in the well-known statement "We teach
people how to treat us,"
you can start teaching others to shower you with
appreciation
by showering yourself first.
Sue
Patton Thoele
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