Where has all the appreciation gone?

In this age of dwindling resources, the one I miss the most is APPRECIATION. And, lately, I’ve been wondering:

Where has all the appreciation gone?

I feel like appreciation is going the way of the penny. We took it for granted that it would always be there, then realized it would no longer be available. The only difference is that I don’t give a crap about no longer having a stinky copper-coated coin in my purse. I do, however, give many craps about having appreciation in my life.

And with Thanksgiving - not to mention Mercury Retrograde - upon us, now is the perfect time to implement my super simple, stress-busting Baby Step.

(#gone) Image created by Deb Plotkin

Where has all the appreciation gone? I think I know. This is what I believe is the culprit:

COMPLAINING

I complain. You complain. We all complain. I know. I know. Most of the time it’s lighthearted…like moaning about the weather or grumbling about the garbage not being taken out or ranting about weekly price hikes at the grocery store.

But, sometimes, complaining can get hardcore.

To be fair, we come from a very long line of complainers. I’m sure those Egyptians building the pyramids didn’t go to “work” with big ol’ smiles on their faces. But I bet they also weren’t broadcasting their objections in public. Nowadays, though, complaining has taken on a kind of social status. Countless music artists have made entire careers out of complaining about their ex. One-star reviews have become the standard by which we judge a product or service. And let’s not even talk about the endless Facebook chats about who did what to whom. Complaining is here, there and everywhere – thanks to the internet.

I agree that humanity has made some significant strides forward in the last few decades (the master we call Google, for instance). But can’t we hang onto a little more of what makes us human?

Before the holidays hit and a new year begins, I am upgrading my mindset (#Third Eye territory). In fact, I’m going to embrace the complaining. Here’s why…

I believe complaining is simply misguided caring.

Because if we didn’t care, we wouldn’t complain about, harp on or nag incessantly about it. In fact, we’d never give it any thought at all. And not caring (#indifference) about others is a non-negotiable for me.

So, what’s a peace-loving, mindfulness-seeking human gonna do to restore humankind? The only thing we can do…

Bring back appreciation

BABY STEP

Having worked with kiddos - and the public in general - for most of my life, I have come to this conclusion:

Peeps just want to be heard.

They don’t necessarily want advice or guidance or to hear about how your similar situation was so much worse. Instead, they want attention. They want acknowledgment. They want a little sympathy. They want someone to be on their side. They want to know they are not alone in their suffering, no matter how blown out of proportion we think it may be.

With that in mind, the next time you’re spending time with your relatives (or any human for that matter) and you feel annoyance creeping up your spine because they’re griping or nagging or telling you what they would do in your situation, simply remind yourself how much they care about whatever it is they’re complaining about…because most likely, it’s you! And, rather than rolling your eyes, remember to use my mood-altering Baby Step instead.

Tell them these three magical words and throw in a hug, if you are so inclined:

I appreciate you.

Because you really do appreciate them. So be glad they’re here to create magical moments with, then go back to enjoying what you came for this Thanksgiving…

Sharing a delicious meal with those you love.

And free pie :)

(#my philosophy) Image courtesy of Unsplash