When was the last time we looked someone in the eye, our mother, boss, child, the barista at our local coffee stop and said “thank you” for their service or for just being themselves? Expressing verbal appreciation is a small act of kindness that has gotten lost among the text messages, emails, and the daily grind between waking up in the morning and going to bed at night.
Being appreciated makes us feel good, and being the one appreciating feels equally good, if not better. Knowing that our actions, whether personal or professional, are appreciated by others affirms that those actions are positively impacting someone/something in our environment, motivating us to continually do and be better.
Thinking from a broader perspective, when was the last time we appreciated an organization that benefited our community? Unless we regularly volunteer or donate, probably not very often. So this holiday season, let’s challenge one another to appreciate at least one person or organization for the work they do.
Tell your colleague that you appreciate their work, leave an “I appreciate you” voicemail on your friend’s phone, call up your favorite cause-driven organization and tell them that the service they provide to your community is appreciated and beneficial. We can be as creative or traditional as we want as long as we commit to actually do it. Appreciating others and knowing we’re appreciated makes us feel good, it makes those around us feel good, and it lets the organizations that benefit our communities know that they’re doing a good thing.
It’s cheap, it’s easy, and its one simple sentence, “I appreciate you.”