Appreciate Life!

Appreciation: “thanks or gratitude; assessment of the true worth or value of persons or things.”

Appreciate Yourself

It’s soothing to sit and reflect or meditate in a quiet, peaceful place of comfort, like the beach; or in a certain special dwelling, turning off all of the noise to think about life and the things that you have; maybe even listening to some jazz. But everyone should have their own special place to go to. For many, it’s the simple things in life that make them happy: looking at the ocean, watching the sun set, spending some time outside under the evening stars, and just honing in on what you have accomplished. Sit back and reflect on what you have done as an individual, the things you have accomplished,and then you will begin to realize that life is wonderful.

Appreciate Your Family

Appreciating the family members you have in your life and appreciating the fact that there is someone who is always going to genuinely be there for you to lean on or just listen with all of their heart because they have invested ample time in you and you, them. That’s what family is all about- “family doesn’t leave family behind”.

There are many families out there that are separated, that don’t speak to one another for years because of the resentment. But if you really focus on appreciating all of your family members, especially the ones you haven’t spoken to in a while or that you are feeling animosity towards, you will find it is way easier to love than hate. Even a simple gesture as just going up to that family member and saying “I appreciate you” or getting a thank you card and simply just thanking that person for being in your life will bless you and those around you.

Appreciating Friends and Loved-ones

Appreciating the fact that your friends or loved-one knows you completely and has chosen to be in your life and that they choose to spend time with you through the good and the bad times, is necessary. There are definitely people who may be friends or acquaintances who want to be friends with you for unpretentious reasons like money, social status, but you will know who the real genuine people in your life are. Just take some time out of your day to call, text, email, social network, or the good old fashion way- speaking to them face to face to say I appreciate you for being in my life and for caring about me and about what happens to me. A simple statement like saying “I appreciate you” goes a long way.

Appreciate Your Career

How quickly can you get angry or frustrated at your boss, coworkers, or others within your company? For many, this happens everyday. If you have your own business, you need to appreciate your customers because they are the ones making your business successful, but at the same time if you are an employee and you work for a company, be thankful that your boss even hired you and brought you on-board to bring value to their organization. Whether you are working at McDonalds or a big organization, appreciate the fact that you are there receiving the benefits. Appreciate the free knowledge that you are gaining, the networking, the experiences that you wouldn’t otherwise have, the events throughout the day that make for great subjects of conversation. At the end of the day, you could be in a worse situation. Be appreciative today and go up to your boss, coworker, or employee and say “I appreciate you.” Even a nice gesture like treating the team with Starbucks, beagles, or a card will go a long way. Overall, just appreciate what you have and life will be wonderful because you will look within yourself and know that the value that you add to everyone’s life and all  these subject areas will definitely give you light.

CigarPlayer(a.k.a. Jerry Flanagan)

Shout Outs:(a.k.a. people that helped present this blog post):

1. Thanks to Erika Hendrickson, for writing the article.2. Thanks to Ralph Nordstorm Photography for the photos >http://ralphnordstromphotography.com/3. Thanks to all my 10,000+ fans in social media land! Appreciate you. Peace.