Daily Inspiration 5-5-18

"Appreciation is the highest form of prayer,

for it acknowledges the presence of good

wherever you shine the light 
of your thankful thoughts."

-- Alan Cohen

"When you meet people,

show real appreciation,

then curiosity."

-- Martha Beck

[Classic post from 10-28-10]

Learning to appreciate others and express it openly has become a fully functioning wonderful part of my life, and I learned to do it by how I felt when I didn't feel appreciated. Here's a quote I ran across by Edgar Watson Howe that expresses how I used to feel: "The greatest humiliation in life, is to work hard on something from which you expect great appreciation, and then fail to get it."

I remember back in 1988, I was a sales manager at a Chevy dealership and the owner was there just about every day. He stayed in his office the majority of the time. One day I was in his office and I asked him what he thought of my working for the company. He said, "well, you know, the subject of Terry Minion doesn't come up very often." It was like a stab in the heart. I surely thought that he thought more of me than this. After five years at this store, I left that same year.

I learned a few things about this; albeit, it took me many more years to fully adopt them and make them a part of my life and thinking. I learned to not seek appreciation. I know that this is the biggest thing I learned--and the hardest for me to learn, for I had been seeking it all my life as many humans do. I also learned that though I did not want to seek appreciation anymore, that this did not diminish at all the value of true appreciation. And, I also learned to focus on appreciating others, uplifting them and telling them to their face in person that I appreciated them, cared about them, loved them. The last thing was the most important thing that I learned and it is with me every day of my life now and continues to expand. It is worth far more than gold.

It doesn't matter what my relationship is with any person, I will tell them I appreciate them when I do and tell them how I feel. I've been told by some well-meaning people that I should keep my feelings to myself, and I think that is bad advice. They have also said that I shouldn't do that in business, but only in my personal life. I think that is worse advice. My life is many things in what I may be doing, but it is all my life.

Now, here's the best part. Since I stopped seeking appreciation but giving it lavishly to others, it makes me feel better than they must feel. In other words, I think I get the majority of the good feeling as a side benefit. Who knew? I've learned to just love people and enjoy working with them and telling them so. It's a joy to express that to them.

Karma Is Right. What I Give Out Comes Back. Or, Was That The Boomerang?

Spread Some Joy Today--There is no greater joy you can spread today than to express love and/or appreciation to people in your life--including people you work with!