A Gesture of Appreciation
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire
I know that many of us have an appreciation for people, places, experiences, and the like, but how often do we show it? We often think about the circumstances with others that have brought us a world of positivity, but have we shown gestures of appreciation to express our care?
I am sharing with you today some things that helped me to be actionable with my appreciation. I hope you can try a few of these and see how they work for you as well.
1) When ending an evening with a friend or loved one, ask them to send a quick text to let you know they’ve made it home safely, and respond when they send the text back. This helps people to see that they matter to you.
2) When someone achieves a milestone, a business promotion, or a goal, celebrate them. Let them know you see them. Sometimes it’s nice to have others see the hard work they put in.
3) Send a handwritten letter to show you were thinking about them. Take the time to write out your thoughts of appreciation.
4) Listen. Listen to conversations that reveal a little more about that person. Maybe they shared their favorite candy, or if they like coffee or tea, and surprise them with a gift to let them know you heard them.
5) Take some personal time out of your day to create a special moment with someone, on a random day, at a random time, doing something they would love to do.
6) If you eat out or visit a place where others give service, personally give a note of appreciation to that individual for the service they provided.
Our days are really busy, but relationships matter. People matter. Consider someone today whom you can offer a gesture of appreciation to. Let them know how they have impacted your life.
