WEDNESDAY MEDITATION

When is the Last Time You Appreciated the Achievements of Others?

What’s holding you back?

Spirit, help me to see beyond myself.

Mudita is a Sanskrit word that means “appreciative joy,” a sense of sympathetic happiness for another person and their achievements.

Appreciative joy is our innate ability to delight in what’s good in the present moment, independent of our circumstances or success. — Shalini Bahl-Milne

In Yiddish, the word would be Fargin, which is a verb that means “to feel joy in someone else’s success.”

This brings us to another Sanskrit word, Bhava, which means “the process of working together with others for a common good.”

And isn’t that what it means to appreciate the achievements of others? You are taking part in the process of celebration for another.

Because of this, encourage the hearts of your fellow believers and support one another, just as you have already been doing. —1 Thess. 5:11

So, today, as I scrolled through Nice News, I saw a story about Rob Heitz, a 41-year-old recovered quadriplegic who swam from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco., which is 1.5 miles. I love recovery stories! I don’t know Rob, but I’m so excited that he is using his past situation to raise awareness.

In other words, he didn’t allow his paralysis to stop going forward in life, which makes him overcome. He is an inspiration!

I have great fargin and mudita for Rob. From afar, my heart is aflutter because he not only worked towards his own recovery, but he gives hope to others who might be in the same situation.

True story

Years ago I ran a marathon. I had trained for months with a running group, but during the marathon, I had to pull away from my group because I was overheating.

What kept me going? The cheers of the fans on the sidelines. To this day, I still get chills at the sounds of people who didn’t know me but cheered me on.

I had been running long distance for years, and true to myself, I always push to go further. So, I set my sights on a marathon. Trust me when I tell you that you learn A LOT about yourself when you set a big goal and work towards it. I also learned a lot about the people who I thought were my supporters.

It can be common for people to cheer on their favorite sports team, but what about the person you don’t know who lives in your community who just had a big win at something? Maybe it was graduating from elementary school or getting their bachelor’s degree or the fact that a person saved for years just so they could buy a car to make their commute to work easier.

And what about the little old lady who struggles to cross the street, cane in hand, legs all wobbly? Maybe you don’t cheer out loud, but do you stop to notice and cheer to yourself? In essence, when you do that, you become a participant in her life — even for just a few minutes.

Reflection

When is the last time you appreciated and celebrated the achievement of another person? Recall the event and how you participated in that.

Remember a time when a friend told you a story of success. Were you happy for them? Were you jealous? Were you angry? What emotion did you have, and why?

How can you lead with appreciative joy at work, home, or in your community?

What stops you from experiencing appreciative joy for yourself and others? Take some time to dig deep into this one.

Putting it into practice

First, offer yourself some appreciative joy. Connecting with yourself means appreciating you for being you.

Some thoughtful phrases to connect with yourself:

I appreciate my strengths — [name three]. I am grateful for [fill in the blank] today. I know my weaknesses [name three]. I appreciate them because they balance my strengths.

For the next 7 days, think about ways you can cheer someone else on. Embrace mundita and encourage yourself to be happy for another person in ways you never thought about.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. —Marcel Proust

Hold fast to kindness, for kindness can save you and another. Hold tight to the gifts you have been given, for they can help another in ways unimaginable. Let go of your love, and let it spill onto others, so they know they are seen

You are kind, you are beautiful, and you matter.

May your soul be refreshed.