| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
 Posted - 11/24/2006 : 16:22:47
|
Practice Uncommon Appreciation
by Jack Canfield (Author of Chicken Soup For The Soul)
If asked, could you name the five wealthiest people in the world, or five people who have one the Nobel Prize, or the last five Academy Award winners for best actor and actress? The point is, none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday. When the applause dies, the awards tarnish, and achievements are forgotten, no one cares about who won which award.
But if I asked you to list five teachers or mentors who believed in you and encouraged you, five friends who have helped you through a difficult time, five people who have taught you something worthwhile, or five people who have made you feel appreciated and special - that's much easier to do, isn't it?
That's because the people who make a difference in your life aren't the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They're the ones who care. If you want to be remembered for being important to someone else's life, make them feel appreciated.
Appreciation as a Secret of Success
Another important reason for being in a state of appreciation as often as possible is that when you are in such a state, you are in one of the highest emotional states possible.
When you are in a state of appreciation and gratitude, you are in a state of abundance. You are appreciating what you do in stead of focusing on, and complaining about, what you don't have. Your focus is on what you have received... and you always get more of what you focus on. And because the law of attraction states that like attracts like, the more you are in a state of gratitude, the more you will attract to be grateful for. It becomes an upward-spiraling process of ever-increasing abundance that just keeps getting better and better.
Think about it. The more grateful people are for the gifts we give them, the more inclined we are to give them more gifts. Their gratitude and appreciation reinforces our giving. The same principle holds true on a universal and spiritual level as it does on an interpersonal level.
Keeping Score
When I first learned about the power of appreciation, it made total sense to me. However, it was still something that I forgot to do. I hadn't yet turned it into a habit. A valuable technique that I employed to help me lock in this new habit was to carry a 3" x 5" card in my pocket all day, and every time I acknowledged and appreciated someone, I would place a check mark on the card. I would not allow myself to go to bed until I had appreciated 10 people. If it was late in the evening and I didn't have 10 check marks, I would appreciate my wife and children, I would send an e-mail to several staff, or I would write a letter to my mother or stepfather. I did whatever it took until it became an unconscious habit.
And remember... take time to appreciate yourself, too! |
|
|
altherunner
Canada
511 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2006 : 09:02:25
|
| Thanks for the inspirational posts. Here is a site that you might like : www.gwen.ca Her book is great, also. |
 |
|
|
HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2006 : 10:23:57
|
I appreciate you taking the time to make these posts, Shawn.
quote:
because the law of attraction states that like attracts like, the more you are in a state of gratitude, the more you will attract to be grateful for. It becomes an upward-spiraling process of ever-increasing abundance that just keeps getting better and better.
I agree. Also that being positive generally attracts good things. I can remember a concrete example of this. I once planned to offer something to help out someone I knew. But when I next saw this person she was having a whinge with someone else about something or other. The negativity swamped me and the offer dried up on my tongue...
On the other hand if people are being positive, I'm more likely to feel positive and generous myself.
Hilary N |
Edited by - HilaryN on 11/25/2006 10:34:02 |
|
|
|
MikeJ
United Kingdom
75 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2006 : 14:19:20
|
quote:
I would not allow myself to go to bed until I had appreciated 10 people. If it was late in the evening and I didn't have 10 check marks, I would appreciate my wife and children, I would send an e-mail to several staff, or I would write a letter to my mother or stepfather. I did whatever it took until it became an unconscious habit.
That's a great idea! Oh, I think I'm gonna turn this into a habit. Thanks for posting this Shawn!
I used to roll my eyes when I heard people say "happiness is appreciating what you have" and thought they just didn't know any better.
 |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Practice Uncommon Appreciation
