The Power of Appreciation

Making someone feel appreciated creates a sense of security allowing them to feel interconnected, confident, and valued producing better personal and business relationships

Create a sense of security

When I feel appreciated, be it at work or in a relationship, a sense of security is created and nurtured. Suddenly, I am willing to put more effort into that relationship and give more of my time and energy.

Sadly we live in a selfish, competitive world. I even see cutthroat competition in the allegedly spiritual yoga industry where studios protect their trade secrets regarding their methods and ideas rather than collaborating with other studio owners and instructors and other yogis. Granted business practices may give someone a leg up and studios do have to compete for customers but what I see goes beyond this.

In personal relationships, everyone, including myself at times, is so afraid of being hurt it is hard to be vulnerable and open and it has become an incredibly competitive dating market with the revolution and devolution of social media and online dating.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller

We need to change our mindset which requires interconnectedness and humbleness.

Realizing our interconnectedness has greatly helped me. We are stronger as a community than as an individual. Have you ever taken a handful of spaghetti and tried to break it? What about one noodle at a time? We are much stronger as a collective and the best way to make someone want to be a part of a collaborative group is to make them feel appreciated.

I have also realized the importance of remaining humble. I know from personal experience, that when my ego flares, I tend to lack empathy for others. When I lead with my heart and with compassion and empathy, I put others at ease. It is easier to appreciate others and what they have to offer when I remain humble. My only real competition is the person I was the day before.

When I had my yoga studio, I learned the hard way how competitive the industry was, which seemed oddly unlike the way the business should be. That was unfortunately the reality. It was a wake-up call for the naive side of me to the business side of me where I knew I needed to build a bridge. I did find a small handful of other local studio owners who shared my mentality and wanted to collaborate.

Our efforts kept us afloat as many other small studios closed being squeezed out by large corporate yoga franchises. We each contributed our strengths and planned events together, referred clients to each other, and worked together for the greater good. It was a fantastic energy exchange. When you believe in something sometimes you just have to put it out to the universe and speak up to see who your allies are. I knew I wasn’t alone in my loving logic.

“A person who feels appreciated will always do more than is expected.” Unknown

Creating a Culture of Appreciation in the Workplace.

Gratitude and appreciation go a long way in improving overall employee retention rates and creating a sense of interconnectedness among employees.

In a report by Appirio, “60% of surveyed workers said they put the most value on being appreciated by management, and that appreciation plays a big role in employee satisfaction and retention.”

“Our survey found that appreciation, connectedness, and emotional safety all outrank compensation as important factors in career decision-making.” Harry West Vice President of services product management at Appirio.

Ways to Manifest Appreciation in the Workplace with your Employees

• Apologize when you are wrong
• Say thank you
• Have an open door policy of communication
• Celebrate company milestones and employee accomplishments
• Offer incentives and vacation bonuses
• Schedule social events to forge strong relationships and get to know your employees better

When we show appreciation either, to employees or in personal relationships, it builds confidence, creates a sense of well-being, causes a sense of positive thinking to override negative thinking, lets the person know their value to you, and deepens the relationship.

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” William James

Creating Appreciation in Relationships

Many times, one or both people take each other for granted after a while in a relationship and forget to thank the other person for simple acts of service such as bringing them a glass of wine or emptying the dishwasher. It is easy to display appreciation for your significant other in the beginning, but it is equally important in a successful relationship, to continue to appreciate our partner for the duration.

1. Eye contact- the eyes are the gateway to the soul. We have mirror neurons that actually begin to take on our partner's emotions. So, we gain empathy.
2. Take turns planning simple fun dates for each other
3. Leave unexpected love notes for each other occasionally
4. Look at each other lovingly, a glance can go a long way
5. Give space- allow time for girl and guy time
6. Praise each other in front of family and friends in genuine ways when possible
7. Listen to understand
8. Say thank you
9. Be playful
10. Maintain physical touch (be affectionate)

The more appreciation we are capable of giving and showing the more connected we will feel. The more connected we feel the more empowered and inspired we will become. The more empowered and inspired we become the more we radiate positive energy. The more we radiate positive energy the more we attract abundance into our lives with magnetic force. You can see the upward spiral of energy as it collects and builds momentum. We become strong and vibrant attracting all that we desire. We all have this simple power within us to help others feel good. I don’t know about you, but I sure feel better when I help others to feel better. All it takes is extending a compliment, a thank you, showing gratitude.

“We rise by lifting others” Robert Ingersoll

I just want to personally thank a few people for highlighting and commenting on my last couple of articles. I appreciate your feedback and being such active participants. It helps me to know if what I am writing is effective. I have read so many wonderful articles by so many talented writers. I am truly humbled and honored to be a part of this platform writing with such extraordinary writers. You all inspire me more than you know. These people made an effort in the last couple of days so again a special thank you to: Marcus, Aaditya Rajagopalan, Spyder, Diana C., Penelope Mayfield, Joseph Lieungh, Sahil Patel, Alberto García 🚀🚀🚀, James Nelmondo, Ravyne Hawke, Shriwant Choudhary, Editor of Technology Hits, Ellen McRae, Dan J, Timothy O'Neill, M.D. Anderson, Dr. Preeti Singh, Pene Hodge, The Maverick Files, Kris Bedenian, Lanu Pitan, Alexandria Cooper, Ruchi Thalwal, Claire Kelly.