Appreciation

Appreciation: The Key to a Better Relationship with Yourself and Others

One of the most transformative practices I've tried to adopt in my journey towards personal growth is the art of appreciation. It’s more than just saying “thank you”—it’s a deep, heartfelt acknowledgement of the good in our lives and the people around us.

When I reflect on my past, I realize that I often overlooked the value of appreciating the small, everyday moments. I was so focused on what was missing or what needed to change that I rarely paused to truly appreciate what was already there. It wasn’t until I intentionally started to practice appreciation that I noticed huge shifts in my perspective and relationships.

Here’s how I integrated appreciation into my life:

Start with Self-Appreciation: It begins with being kind to yourself. I made it a daily practice to recognize my own efforts and achievements, no matter how small. I made an achievements list to see what all I had achieved in the past year and acknowledging the progress i have made however small it may seem.

Express Gratitude Regularly: I made it a habit to express genuine gratitude to those around me. Whether it was a note, a verbal thank you, or a small act of kindness, acknowledging the efforts and qualities of others helped strengthen my relationships and foster a positive environment. I also started using an app that acts as a gratitude journal (app name- GRATITUDE- self-care journal).

Reflect on Positive Moments: At the end of each day, I took time to reflect on the moments I felt thankful for. This practice shifted my focus from what went wrong to what went right, helping me maintain a balanced perspective. It takes a lot of time to learn to focus on the positive instead of the negative, but it will eventually happen and make your life all the more better

Celebrate Small Wins: I learned to appreciate the small victories and milestones, both in my personal life and in my interactions with others. This helped me build a habit of recognizing progress and effort, not just results. Since I have always just viewed my achievements as common or something that was just supposed to happen, this step was a big one.

Okay, now its time for you to look upon your lives and see how you can fit appreciation into it.

• What does your foundation look like, and how does appreciation fit into your life?
• How can appreciating others more deeply transform your relationships and perspective?

Appreciation is one of the values taught in the Inner Goals Development course, you can learn more about it here.