It’s time to swim in appreciation magic! Go ahead. Look around. Appreciation is there somewhere. Maybe it’s in that greeting card you set aside to read when you felt swept away by the life happening around you. Oh, here’s one! Imagine scrolling through your social feeds and finding the perfect words of encouragement. Thank you, world, for seeing me and hearing me. (Appreciation magic.)

We all want to feel appreciated. It’s a magic salve that lubricates our hearts and reminds us we’re in this world thing together. Genuinely, folks, I appreciate you! Many times, your ideas and words are just the right magic to turn the lights on in my heart. So thanks for putting your ideas into words. Just sayin’!

I was going through one of the ‘stacks of stuff’ waiting patiently for attention, and I came across a written meditation from many years passed. I read the words on the aging piece of paper and found a spark that re-ignited one of my purposes in life. (Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded about these things! Appreciation magic!) I scrolled through my Meta feed and found someone talking about wanting to be invisible and seen at the same time. Have you ever felt that way? I do! She put something into words that was just right for me at that moment, so I expressed my appreciation for her taking the time to put her ideas into words. I allowed her to feel appreciated. I certainly appreciated her at that moment.

Have you ever noticed how the appreciation pond doesn’t sit still for very long? As soon as you appreciate, it ripples right back toward you. Magic, that is! (Okay, you can use your Yoda voice for that one!)

Before I close, I want to point out the subtle difference between appreciation and gratitude. You know me and feelings, but I’m gonna say it, anyway. It feels different. Gratitude is something that involves a comparison to something else. (I’m grateful to that guy walking his dog for picking up any rogue dog leavings that happen in my yard.) Appreciation involves bringing your focus in to something. Abby Medcalf, Ph.D, states it beautifully in her article about how “Appreciation is Different Than Gratitude.” (Here’s a link if you’d like to read more.) I appreciate Dr. Medcalf for putting these ideas into words.

Okay. I appreciate you! You, being you, colors the canvas of my life, and I appreciate you! (She savored all the colors on her canvas.) What are you appreciating? Let’s share some magic!

Image by Simon Mettler from Pixabay