Is it easier for you to give appreciation than to receive appreciation?
There’s the old fear of being “too full of myself.” But I laugh when I remember “Who else would I be full of anyway?”
Fully and deeply taking in appreciation can cause a few things to happen:
- A sense of coming home to yourself
- A sense of greater connection to others
- And perhaps most importantly, as you internalize the feeling of being appreciated, you become more independent from needing appreciation from others
There’s nothing wrong with caring what others think about you – civilization wouldn’t be possible without the survival drive to attune to how others feel about us.
Yet, as you build your own sense of inner appreciation, there’s a freedom to be more fully yourself in the world, to bring out your own unique contribution.
You can experiment with this by making a list of everything you appreciate about yourself. Don’t forget to include your being as well as your doing.
How does it feel to read the list out loud?
Then, think of sharing this gift with others. What appreciation can you express to those in your life?
Imagine what might be possible if you made a regular practice of giving and receiving appreciation!