Appreciation's Power
November, a time for all of us to steep in the power of our hearts through gratitude, appreciation, community, friends and family. From our agricultural roots, we take pause to give thanks for a great harvest and in our current day awareness why not learn from our past and bring appreciation forth into our future. Appreciation is a deep practice of being present, taking pause to spread this powerful energy through our own feelings and then give it to others.
So, let’s take a moment to look at the power of appreciation. This quote from HeartMath speaks volumes, “You can never get to peace and inner security without first acknowledging all of the good things in your life. If you’re forever wanting and longing for more without first appreciating things the way they are, you’ll stay in discord.
If you stop and view your life from the heart, you’ll find many things to appreciate. By doing this, you’ll see things from a more balanced perspective. In other words, weighing a problem against the many things you find to appreciate (if you look with the heart) lessens the significance of the problem. This is one of the magical ways in which appreciation works.”
You may have some sort of aversion to the concept of giving thanks. So take a moment to check in, inquire within to see what might be holding you back from this super power of emotional transformation called Appreciation. Why might you be stuck in criticism, lack, or devaluing patterns, when you could look at the world/your life through the lens of Appreciation? Habits are just unconscious patterns that we can get very stuck in, or unconscious agreements we have made along our life path. They are not lifelong commitments made consciously that empower us. You understand that, don’t you?
Personally, I would rather be awakened in my patterns and agreements, consciously choosing those that uplift me, raise my spirit and improve both my life and the life of those around me. Appreciation does just that. Once you start to feel Appreciation in your heart, your eyes see and your mind thinks from a place of value, abundance, praise, gratitude, etc. Feel it!
Here are just a few other benefits of a practice of Appreciation based on HeartMath’s research
1. Appreciation isn’t just a “soft” concept. It has a highly beneficial effect on the body.
2. Appreciation, which is often easier to activate than other core heart feelings, can shift your attitudes and perceptions quickly.
3. Appreciation helps draw additional fulfilling situations toward you. What you send out does come back.
4. Find something to appreciate when things AREN’T going your way, not just when it’s convenient.
5. Make a conscious effort to look for things in your life that you can appreciate and try to remember them. Writing up an occasional appreciation list will help.
6. Stay on the lookout for areas in your life where you’ve adapted and are taking things for granted. Try to find new appreciation in these areas.
Remember to find the feeling of appreciation so you can activate when you need to uplift, adapt or restore yourself during the day.
We have a month, 30 days, to shift and grow, embedding into our lifestyle a beneficial quality or energy that will transform us on many levels. A simple yet powerful practice, one you can never do enough of. Life is a never-ending opportunity to awaken, grow, change, adapt, shift, reset. So, whether you have done this before or not, lets join together and do it again. Appreciate! I’ll start by taking this moment to appreciate YOU. Thank you for reading and being open to exploring a new potential in your life.