What Makes You Feel Most Appreciated? The Language of Appreciation: How to speak it, even without words

Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you.

Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it. -- Ralph Marston

What is appreciation language? Its the language of care, of love, of letting someone know they are doing an amazing job.

There are many ways to express I appreciate you -- and some dont involve words!

Which language of appreciation communicates best to you?

What things make you feel most appreciated?

Take this quiz to find out more about which language you like to speak, and which language you like to have spoken to you!

At work, which of these is the best way to be appreciated? Which five do you like best? Which are your least favorite?

● A supervisor or co-worker or client tells me, You really did an amazing job on that project. We really appreciate it.

● At a meeting, someone praises the work I did and tells everyone about it.

● My company or school puts an appreciative comment about me on its Twitter feed or in the weekly news on its website

● Someone brings in a special cake to work thank me.

● Im asked for my opinion and input on an important project and the person explains that my opinion is really valuable.

● A co-worker or my supervisor gives me a big High Five in a meeting to express appreciation.

● A co-worker takes on a big task for me, and they didnt have to! Ill take care of the patient in room 2, Ive got some extra time. or I gathered the numbers from region 5 for you while you were out of town, theyre on your desk.

● A client or supervisor sends me flowers at home to show appreciation.

● A client or supervisor sends me flowers at work to show appreciation.

● Someone at work makes a point of shaking my hand and patting me on the shoulder to show approval and appreciation.

● Someone treats me to lunch to show appreciation.

● Someone tells me about something super complimentary that was said about me.

● Would I rather have as beautifully framed certificate to hang on the wall, or would I rather be appreciated with a special lunch for me and my team?

With family and friends, what kind of appreciation do you like best? Which 5 do prefer most? Which ones do you prefer least?

● My relative or friend calls me to say, Thank you so much, what you did was AWESOME.

● At a group meal, my relative/friend tells everyone what an awesome thing I did and how much its appreciated.

● My relative/friend posts a paean to my wonderfulness on their Facebook page, with pictures.

● My friend/relative volunteers to help me with housework. Ill do the dishes, you just relax.

● I come home from a meeting to find that someone has unexpectedly mowed the lawn for me or done the laundry, which was on my to-do list.

● My relative/friend gives me a surprise gift from the store, or sends flowers.

● My friend/relative gives me a hug as they leave the house.

● Your friend/relative offers to pick you up from the airport even though you could really just take a taxicab.

● A friend/relative asks to get together just to have a leisurely chat or a quiet walk together.

● The person ask about my day and really listens.

● The person gets me tickets to an event Im interested in.

● The person invites me for a special dinner at their house or (if we live together) they make a special meal for me.

● They invite me to a restaurant for dinner.

● They send me a nice card and write something really special on it.

● They give me a gift certificate to a place I like.

● They tell me how much someone appreciates me.

● They offer to give me a backrub or give me a gift certificate for a massage.

● They throw a big surprise party for me!

{Note: many of these questions have been adapted from a quiz at this website:"Better Thinking: Psychology + Science + NLP = Better Thinking (Business Life Coaching and Training"]

Interesting questions about the language of appreciation!

What are your thoughts? Does everyone speak the same language?

Please share your views. Which ones would delight you? Which ones would make you feel uncomfortable?

How does it feel when you enter a group-support chatroom and five people shout HI, AMAZING YOU, good to see you!

Can I let others know which types of appreciation are uncomfortable for me?

Hmmm, what are some good ways to learn what language of appreciation will communicate best to other people?

We may envision the ideal appreciation differently, but one thing is universal: The feeling it gives is of immense joy, and thats what life's all about, isnt it? And the best part is -- when someone gives heartfelt appreciation, the giver feels wonderful, too! At the end of the day, what we remember about people is how they made us feel.

This post is a work in progress, written by @StarryKoala69 and @Annie. We'll add a tag list (if any) after we finish editing!