Hello Mam! Remember me? I looked up and saw a smiling face, it was Aditya, who had been my student a couple of years back. He had come in early to college for the Alumni Meet to meet his professors.
Aditya was one of the very few students who had penned beautiful thank-you notes to every professor on the day of his post-graduation. Every note was unique. He shared with me that he had written the notes after I had said one day during class. Feeling grateful for what someone did for you is great, but the greater good comes out of sharing the feeling of gratitude through appreciation. You can appreciate everyone for what they have done for you!
He said he was very grateful to each of his professors for making a difference in his life, but he had never considered expressing it. That day, after listening to what I said, he decided to write those notes. He said that after writing the notes he felt happier, and his gratitude deepened. I’m sure you have guessed the reaction of all the recipients, they were overwhelmed!
A friend proudly told me that he received the Best Salesperson of the Year Award from his Company. I asked him, ‘Have you thanked everyone who made it possible for you to achieve this?’ His simple answer was ‘I didn’t even think of that!’
His answer made me realize how we take people around us for granted. We are not able to see the value others add to our lives.
Ask someone, ‘Have you appreciated anyone today?’ The most common response is ‘What is there to appreciate?’ Well, you may have had a great meal, but did you thank the one who prepared it?
It is a well-known fact that all of us feel very happy when we are appreciated. Then, why is it that we are not generous enough to appreciate others?
Let me help you understand why genuinely appreciating people is so valuable in today’s world where human connections are diminishing day by day. The reasons to appreciate are plenty, we just need to look for one.
Why is Appreciation Important?
- Sometimes we are so preoccupied with ourselves that we cannot see goodness in other’s actions. To look for goodness in others, we need to be in a positive frame of mind. Positivity works great wonders and makes life beautiful. The best thing is that we can train our minds to be positive.
- Seeing goodness in others and expressing appreciation enhances and deepens our relationship with people. It impacts both the giver and the receiver. Let me explain with an example: If your boss appreciates you for the work that you have put in, you feel noticed and recognized. It boosts your self-esteem. You are now motivated to showcase your best. The boss in turn is happy to see the joy on your face and feels good to see a motivated team member.
- Appreciation is an incentive to motivate people to perform. My colleague told me that her mother seemed to have lost the will to do anything and was becoming very negative in her thinking. I suggested, why don’t you appreciate all the wonderful things she did for you and others? A month later my friend told me that her mother was not only happy but very eager to prepare all the cuisine that they loved. Reminding her that she was a beautiful human being and that people appreciated her for her hospitality and delicious cooking helped to revive her mood to positive.
- Are you happy? If your answer is no or maybe, try going out and finding someone to appreciate. Appreciation can be a great catalyst for happiness. It reduces stress and enhances mental well-being. It reminds you to be grateful for all that you have. When you start appreciating what you have, it helps to get away from craving materialistic things.
- Appreciation is a powerful tool that extends beyond just being a motivator. It fosters a positive and supportive environment at home and in the workplace. When we recognize the strengths and virtues of others, it promotes collaboration and builds mutual trust, resulting in better teamwork and productivity. Such positive interactions not only benefit individuals and organizations but also contribute to the creation of a better society.
10 Tips to Get Started on Appreciating People:
- Have a problem finding goodness in others? It is very easy to find faults. I’m sure you can point out flaws in almost everyone. We are all humans and are not perfect. Keeping this in mind, consciously look for the goodness in others – their talents, courteous behaviour, their analytical skills, their choice of clothing, their smile, just anything. You may be surprised at what you discovered!
- Spend a little time with Nature: Nature is a great healer. When you are worried or unhappy, go take a walk and spend some time with nature. Observe the birds, butterflies, trees, leaves, buds, and flowers, you will find every little is unique. You too, are unique. Find the beauty in nature and appreciate it, you will find your mood changing. Try it.
- Think about all who touched your life each day: Spend some time every day thinking about every person you met since morning. How they made your day better by helping you in some way. Example: Your mother made your breakfast, the cab driver reached you safely to the office on time, the work that you could complete because your subordinate had done the base work.
- Keep company with positive people: The company you keep matters much. If you are surrounded by people who are always blaming others and complaining negativity takes over. Keep away from such people or dare to help them to stop blaming and complaining.
- Have an ego? The ego is a big barrier. If you think whatever you are today is all your own doing, you are mistaken. Life goes on because innumerable invisible people are working to make our lives better. The teachers who imparted knowledge. Your parents/family who stood by you. The pizza delivery boy who brought your pizza at midnight so that you could have a meal. All the people who work tirelessly so that the infrastructure is working.
- Try volunteering: The lessons you can learn from volunteering are amazing. It teaches you to be humble, grateful, and compassionate. Gratitude is the basis on which appreciation begins to evolve.
- Holding a grudge? You can only appreciate someone if you don’t have hard feelings about the other person. By forgiving, the biggest gainer is the forgiver as you start feeling lighter.
- Recall positive moments: When you are going through a hard time, think of all the positive moments in your life – the times you felt good at having done good things. You will begin to look at life afresh and be able to be positive even in a challenging situation.
- Remember those who appreciated you: Whenever you feel a bit low, recall all the moments when someone appreciated you or you appreciated someone. You will start feeling better.
- Smile: A smile is an excellent way to connect with people. When you smile at someone, they already feel that you have recognized their presence. After that, say something nice that you have observed. For example: You attended a function and found the anchor was doing a wonderful job. When the function is over, walk up to her, smile, and just say those simple words, ‘You kept us going’ or ‘You made the event memorable!’
What is stopping you? Don’t hesitate or be shy, just start appreciating people around you today!
