What is appreciation? It is a question that I use to ask myself throughout my childhood, not in those words, but I have always been curious to know why it was always so important to say “please and thank you.” Growing up with a Jamaican mother and grandparents, having “manners” and “respect” was very important, and looking back I see them as forms of appreciation in a sense. I was curious to know what appreciation meant to other people and how they show appreciation to others, so I put it out there to see what type of responses I would receive.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

John F. Kennedy

I posed three simple questions to the online community, friends, family, colleagues, strangers, anyone who wanted to respond, and the results were interesting.

The three questions I asked were:

  1. When you hear the word “appreciation” what do you think of, or what do you think about?
  2. How do you show other people whom you appreciate them and what they do for you?
  3. How do you like people to show you that they appreciate you and what you do for them?

The response was overwhelming, people from all over the world responded, (which in itself shows that the topic is of interest to many other people). Before diving into the results of the survey it is important to look at the definition of “appreciation.” According to Dictionary.com, (the number one online dictionary), appreciation is ‘gratitude; thankful recognition’. The definition is simple, only three words; “gratitude”, “thankful” “recognition”, yet has such a powerful meaning. I am sure it is no surprise to anyone because we all know what appreciation means right? Though we may know what appreciation means to us, individually it has a different meaning. It may not mean the same to everyone, and though we may know how to show others we appreciate them, it is something that most of us do not demonstrate on a daily basis.

Of the hundreds of responses received, here is a synopsis of the common words and themes by a question:

1. When asked, “When you hear the word “appreciation” what do you think of, or what do you think about?”

  • Sincere recognition, gratitude, acknowledgment, thankfulness
  • Doing something good or something positive for another person
  • Giving thanks to each and every person that has helped you in some way no matter how small or big

2. When asked, “How do you show other people whom you appreciate them and what they do for you?”

  • Saying “thank you” in person, on the phone, text, or via e-mail for the biggest or smallest of gestures
  • Sending “thank you” cards, handwritten notes, or gifts
  • Gestures of kindness, concern, and respect; being present in other people’s lives, and giving time and/or love to another person (depending on the person)
  • Doing something simple, spontaneous, unexpected for another person

3. “How do you like people to show you that they appreciate you and what you do for them?”

  • Kind words, simply saying “thank you”
  • Showing attention, affection, respect
  • Explaining the impact of how one’s actions positively impacted another person in a positive way, how it made a difference to them

Here are 6 simple things that you can do in your personal and professional life to show others that you appreciate them:

1) Be 5 Again! – Remember when you were five? Well, maybe not; but remember what your parents, teachers, and elders used to say to you? They would remind you to say “please” and “thank you”; sounds simple, but oftentimes in life, we take others for granted and sometimes forget to say these simple words when others do something nice for us or go above and beyond what is expected or being asked of them. Saying those simple words should go without saying and we should always make sure we show appreciation by using those simple words.

2) Go to the Audience – Whether you are simply copying someone’s manager on a “thank you” e-mail, or thanking them in person in front of others, this is often a great approach to showing that you are thankful. Publicly thanking people shows that their efforts are appreciated, so much so that you are showing appreciation in front of peers, colleagues, family, and friends.

3) Put it in Writing – A handwritten letter, note, or card goes a long way to demonstrate your level of appreciation. It is a relatively cheap way to strengthen the relationship because it shows that you actually made time to think about saying something nice about the person and their actions.

4) Gift-It – One way to show appreciation is to send a gift. It does not necessarily have to be an expensive gift, it can be a gift card for a coffee shop or bookstore, or a box of chocolates, or anything that is meaningful to the individual you are thanking. It is amazing how grateful people are when given a $5 or $10 gift card for a coffee shop.

5) Payback – Another very simple way to show appreciation to others is to simply return the act of kindness by doing something nice for them, or by going above and beyond when they ask you for something. Better yet, don’t wait until they ask for help, do something when they least expect.

Pay it Forward – If someone does something nice for you be sure to thank them or show appreciation in return, but why not pay it forward. Do something simple like holding a door for a stranger, or helping someone who appears to be lost. Remember karma is about getting what you give.

What this all comes down to is remembering the basic rules your parents and elders attempted to instil in you when growing up; “treat others how you would like to be treated.” It only takes a few moments to show appreciation, but those few moments can have a huge impact on another person’s life.

I truly believe this..

There’s something special about you, find out what it is and live it out loud!

#NowIsYourTime

Let me know your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below and let me know if I am missing anything.

I want to hear from you.

 

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@iamDannyStone

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What is appreciation? It is a question that I use to ask myself throughout my childhood, not in those words, but I have always been curious to know why it was always so important to say “please and thank you.” Growing up with a Jamaican mother and grandparents, having “manners” and “respect” was very important, and looking back I see them as forms of appreciation in a sense. I was curious to know what appreciation meant to other people and how they show appreciation to others, so I put it out there to see what type of responses I would receive.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

John F. Kennedy

I posed three simple questions to the online community, friends, family, colleagues, strangers, anyone who wanted to respond, and the results were interesting. The three questions I asked were:
  1. When you hear the word “appreciation” what do you think of, or what do you think about?
  2. How do you show other people whom you appreciate them and what they do for you?
  3. How do you like people to show you that they appreciate you and what you do for them?
The response was overwhelming, people from all over the world responded, (which in itself shows that the topic is of interest to many other people). Before diving into the results of the survey it is important to look at the definition of “appreciation.” According to Dictionary.com, (the number one online dictionary), appreciation is ‘gratitude; thankful recognition’. The definition is simple, only three words; “gratitude”, “thankful” “recognition”, yet has such a powerful meaning. I am sure it is no surprise to anyone because we all know what appreciation means right? Though we may know what appreciation means to us, individually it has a different meaning. It may not mean the same to everyone, and though we may know how to show others we appreciate them, it is something that most of us do not demonstrate on a daily basis. Of the hundreds of responses received, here is a synopsis of the common words and themes by a question: 1. When asked, “When you hear the word “appreciation” what do you think of, or what do you think about?”
  • Sincere recognition, gratitude, acknowledgment, thankfulness
  • Doing something good or something positive for another person
  • Giving thanks to each and every person that has helped you in some way no matter how small or big
2. When asked, “How do you show other people whom you appreciate them and what they do for you?”
  • Saying “thank you” in person, on the phone, text, or via e-mail for the biggest or smallest of gestures
  • Sending “thank you” cards, handwritten notes, or gifts
  • Gestures of kindness, concern, and respect; being present in other people’s lives, and giving time and/or love to another person (depending on the person)
  • Doing something simple, spontaneous, unexpected for another person
3. “How do you like people to show you that they appreciate you and what you do for them?”
  • Kind words, simply saying “thank you”
  • Showing attention, affection, respect
  • Explaining the impact of how one’s actions positively impacted another person in a positive way, how it made a difference to them

Here are 6 simple things that you can do in your personal and professional life to show others that you appreciate them:

  1. Be 5 Again! – Remember when you were five? Well, maybe not; but remember what your parents, teachers, and elders used to say to you? They would remind you to say “please” and “thank you”; sounds simple, but oftentimes in life, we take others for granted and sometimes forget to say these simple words when others do something nice for us or go above and beyond what is expected or being asked of them. Saying those simple words should go without saying and we should always make sure we show appreciation by using those simple words.
  2. Go to the Audience – Whether you are simply copying someone’s manager on a “thank you” e-mail, or thanking them in person in front of others, this is often a great approach to showing that you are thankful. Publically thanking people shows that their efforts are appreciated, so much so that you are showing appreciation in front of peers, colleagues, family, and friends.
  3. Put it in Writing – A handwritten letter, note, or card goes a long way to demonstrate your level of appreciation. It is a relatively cheap way to strengthen the relationship because it shows that you actually made time to think about saying something nice about the person and their actions.
  4. Gift-It – One way to show appreciation is to send a gift. It does not necessarily have to be an expensive gift, it can be a gift card for a coffee shop or bookstore, or a box of chocolates, or anything that is meaningful to the individual you are thanking. It is amazing how grateful people are when given a $5 or $10 gift card for a coffee shop.
  5. Payback – Another very simple way to show appreciation to others is to simply return the act of kindness by doing something nice for them, or by going above and beyond when they ask you for something. Better yet, don’t wait until they ask for help, do something when they least expect.
  6. Pay it Forward – If someone does something nice for you be sure to thank them or show appreciation in return, but why not pay it forward. Do something simple like holding a door for a stranger, or helping someone who appears to be lost. Remember karma is about getting what you give.
What this all comes down to is remembering the basic rules your parents and elders attempted to instill in you when growing up; “treat others how you would like to be treated.” It only takes a few moments to show appreciation, but those few moments can have a huge impact on another person’s life.   Danny, Your Mindset Coach Danny Stone is a Speaker, Mindset Coach and Author of the best-selling book, You Have The Keys, Now Drive. For more than 15 years he has been helping people get more clarity, take massive action, and create the lives they want. He’s helped countless individuals move from the passenger seat to become the drivers of their lives. If you are struggling in your life or business and want more success and happiness, contact Danny to set up your Free Clarity Call. Click HERE www.youhavethekeysnowdrive.com   LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @iamdannystone Instagram: @iamdannystone Facebook: www.facebook.com/iamdannystone
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