Appreciation: Recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something; gratitude
The act of appreciating takes the concept of gratitude up a few notches. The week before Thanksgiving, I asked my students, "Who or what do you want to appreciate this week?" They responded with "the food that I'm going to eat that is so easily accessible to me and will nourish my body; the time that I will get to spend with my siblings who I don't get to connect with often; my parents and their support of me; the opportunity to grow and live independently; the chance to live in LA for a semester and try it out before moving...."
In asking this question, the mind is more apt to seek ways to show that appreciation, and the gratitude, in turn, becomes even more elevated. To think about what we're grateful for is beautiful and wonderful, to actively appreciate what we're grateful for is not only a way to remind ourselves of the blessings we might take for granted, but to value, honor, steward, and respect them even more.
This month, I reignited my gratitude practice of listing out 10 things I'm grateful for every morning and taking a few moments to appreciate them. It's done wonders for the level of peace I feel daily, my connection with God, and has influenced my daily thought processes and actions tremendously.
When this gratitude exercise becomes a routine, the brain's reticular activating system begins to notice more things to be grateful for - more frequently and subconsciously. In other words - it can train our minds to easily 'recognize and enjoy the good qualities' in our lives without having to deliberately be reminded of them. This practice has been used for centuries and has been shown to decrease anxiety and depression, reduce pain, break toxic emotional cycles, manage/regulate stress, increase intrinsic motivation, magnify faith and spiritual health, and enhance overall quality of life.
There's always something to be grateful for and someone to appreciate for it. There's always something to appreciate and someone to be grateful for.
Question for reflection: Who or what do you want to appreciate this week?