APPRECIATING PEOPLE

Appreciating someone is a very small gesture from our side and takes just a few moments of our time. But it impacts the person receiving it in a big way. If you don’t believe me, just appreciate someone and watch the other person come alive and glow at the words of your appreciation. That would indeed be a beautiful sight.

 I have been both at the receiving end and the giving end of appreciation.

Receiving appreciation is like a tonic. I feel wonderful and highly motivated to find ways to improve my performance. That’s why wise bosses appreciate and value their employees.

And when I appreciate other people, I feel really blessed that I had made a difference to someone’s day by what I had said. Moreover sincere appreciation encourages people to go the extra mile and give their best; and as I bless other people with  my words, it also lifts up my spirits and makes me feel great.

So appreciating people has dual advantage- you are being a blessing and also being blessed in return.

So often, at home and at our workplace we focus on things that were not done properly and tearing down the person responsible. We end up making a big noise criticizing people, who in turn will respond unfavorably and lose motivation to go the extra mile.

In the process, you become miserable, the other person is hurt and discouraged and your entire day is ruined with nothing positive achieved.

The Bible encourages us to use speech carefully.

Ephesians 4:29 tells us

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

and

Proverbs 25:11

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver

But everything will not always be right as rain!

So what should we do if someone does wrong and we have to correct him/her??  People face these situations very often.

Correction can always be done in love. Always remember, a  person cannot do everything wrong. There must be something which he/she does right. You probably need to look hard and try to find that out; then appreciate them for that.

How much easier it then becomes to address what they may have done wrong and find the solution to correct it.’

I would like to conclude with a quote-

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.
– Margaret Cousins