When was the last time you appreciated?
There are two interesting stories and one video reference in this article:
1. My America visit in 2008
2. Food service we receive
3. Video reference to understand the power of appreciation.
Keep reading this article to get some lights on appreciation and its benefits.
Many a times, we keep on waiting for someone, to appreciate us. When was the last time you appreciated someone for something good!
Remember, in your personal life or professional life, are you getting a lot of problems and experiencing failures? One of the main reason is: You invested most of your precious energy in downgrading yourself by complaining to someone about something, instead of investing the same energy on your own growth and success.
If you examine your life, you have made many mistakes, that is the only reason you are what you are today. No one is perfect. But you are ignoring all and jumping to find some mistakes in someone about something. With time, it has become your habit.
In my life many successes are mainly based on very few recognition and appreciations! Which are given by my Parents, Relations, Teachers, Friends and Others. Those are the great boosters in my life during my difficult times, failure situations and confusion states. I'm thankful to all.
There is a saying: Finding faults in others is the easiest and stupidest thing that anyone can do. Stop investing your energy on negative things.
Just appreciate someone for something, this gives you great joy. You don't lose your energy; in fact, you gain energy and happiness. With this you are motivating others to look something good in you and appreciate you for that.
If you observe, any workplace, team or family invests a lot of time in finding mistakes and complaining to someone about something. That workplace or team cannot deliver any tremendous results. Reason is very obvious; they spend their part of life just in finding mistakes and complaining about others. No energy is left in them to deliver great results.
Similarly, in your personal life or family you are not able to live a happy or peaceful life. Because, you are very watchful of others' actions to complain about something. It leads to restlessness, relationship issues and failures.
This is a fact; every person has their own good and bad things. If you find a person with 99% bad qualities, just remaining 1% is enough for you to appreciate someone. Make your heart kinder and loving, just wait for one reason to appreciate someone for something.
When was the last time you appreciated your: Children, Parents, Managers, Colleagues or Co-worker, Shopkeeper, Sweepers, Street sales person, Servant, Maid, Superior and so on? Many of them spent 5 to 10 years, they have never received any appreciation note from anyone. Opposite, they always heard complaints from others. Your one appreciation brings great joy in their life!
My America trip in the year 2008:
I have been to America for a business trip from office. I was provided one apartment with great facilities, which are almost equivalent to a 4 Star grade and scheduled car with a driver to pick up and drop. I stayed for three months in that fully furnished luxurious apartment. I used to prepare tea. Several times I burnt tea in the tea vessel to get dark color. (Luckily fire alarm did not get activated due to smoke)
That tea stain was very difficult to remove from the vessel, I was reusing it regularly. Every 15 days we used to get servants. They used to just clean the apartment and organise things.
One evening, I came back from the office and was shocked by looking at my tea vessel. It was shining like a mirror and the apartment looked like a brand new one. Regarding tea vessel, it was so sticky that I had given up. But the person who cleaned that day, did the job better than me. It's great to see servants being better than the owner!
There comes the ownership and dedication towards the work. I got their number and called that service team company. They asked me, do you have any complaints about our service? I said; No, I called you to give appreciation to the person who gave service to my apartment. They were very happy and promised me to convey my message and thanks to them.
I can understand service company people’s condition, they only address customer complaints. And my application note brought them new light, good spirit to continue with quality in service.
Your Food Service:
It may be your spouse, parents, servants, children, cook, maid, or hotel. Every day you get some food. When all is good, you eat with no complaints. If you find any problem like baking, salt or spice, taste and so on. Suddenly you jump on them and complain about their mistakes.
Are you daily performing an outstanding job at your work? (Grade 5 [or doing only meeting the expectations grade 3) still you expect grade 5 from your manager or superior. But at home/hotel they always have to perform a grade 5 job in cooking. How frequently do you do a grade 5 job at work? But you want to be identified as grade 5 always.
If your Manager or supervisor reacts, the way you react to the quality of food, you may have to resign on the same day... understand patience and sacrifice of the people who are serving or cooking food for you.
Understand their efforts, no one intentionally spoils the food. By mistake it happens. If they are intentional, they don't need much effort to spoil the food.
Believe it or not, if I feel any of the food items are tasty and good, I personally go to the kitchen and appreciate the cooking staff or person who cooked it. I've been doing it for several years.
Like this there are many people who come in our life, try to find a reason to appreciate someone for something. This is a better and finest way to create a better world.
Stop investing energy in finding faults in others. We all know due to education, parenting, environment, we have different behavior, culture and practices. If they get similar opportunities like you, they might be better than you. Find something good and appreciate it. This is the only way to bring lights. If you keep on complaining, that demotivates them, they will start under-performing. Because no one has seen their struggles.
If you compare everyone’s batting with Sachin Tendulkar and complain, you will not be able to build a cricket team. Sometimes the most unexpected person brings a victory to the cricket team. It happened many times in sports. Understand every person has some great qualities and all are unique.
Difficult people are not difficult by nature. Due to lack of love and appreciation they become difficult people. Try finding a few good things in them, recognize and appreciate them. You will see wonderful results! I’m not joking, it’s a fact. I’m saying this statement with my own personal experiences and results.
Have practice of appreciating 5 people in a day. Please don't end your day without appreciating someone for something. Your one social media like or comments may bring great joy!
Important appreciation notes:
- Appreciate with valid reasons.
- Be truthful in your appreciation.
- Be true inside and outside when appreciating.
- Show genuine interest in your appreciation.
- Don't find or consider logic to appreciate someone for something.
- Timing and situation are very important in appreciation.
If you are complaining about someone in a team or group of people, that person feels insulted and it definitely brings your reputation down. With those complaints you lose credibility and trust from that person. There is a saying: If you want to appreciate, appreciate on the floor [ or publicly]. If you want to complain, do it personally [one on one in a room]. It enhances your respect and credibility.
Here is a very thoughtful video on appreciation: Joel Osteen - Healing Words
Author: GCV (Vishnuvardhana GC)