"A person on of our classes told of a request made by his wife. She and a group of other women in her church were involved in a self-improvement program. She asked her husband to help her by listing six things he believed she could do to help herself become a better wife. He reported to the class, “I was surprised by such a request. Frankly, it would have been easy for me to list six things I would like to change about her—my heavens, she could have listed a thousand things she would like to change about me—but I didn’t. I said to her, ‘Let me think about it and give you an answer in the morning.’
“The next morning I got up very early and called the florist and had them send six red roses to my wife with a note saying: ‘I can’t think of six things I would like to change about you. I love you the way you are.’
“When I arrived at home that evening, who do you think greeted me at the door: That’s right. My wife! She was almost in tears. Needless to say, I was extremely glad I had not criticized her as she had requested.
“The following Sunday at church, after she had reported the results of her assignment, several women with whom she had been studying came up to me and said, ‘That was the most considerate thing I have ever heard.’ It was then I realized the power of appreciation""
When a study was made a few years ago on runaway wives, what do you think was discovered to be the main reason wives ran away? It was “lack of appreciation”. And I’d bet that a similar study made of runaway husbands would come out the same way. We often take our spouses so much for granted that we never let them know we appreciate them.........
How To Win Friends & Influence People
DALE CARNEGIE
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.Yesterday I was going through this book n above story given me a new vision to handle relationship.
I recall Warren Wong's article which suggest learning to appreciate others will help us to live a better life. We never lost anything in appreciating others - instead we become a better person. Appreciating others will help us to enhance our skill; it will also boost the doers to contribute more for the good of the people.
I have noticed people’s eagerness to help out when little things they do are remembered, and also experienced first hand the devastatingly de-motivating effects when my efforts go unnoticed
When you don’t care what other people are doing, you are basically telling them that what they are doing doesn’t matter all that much to you. After all, if it did matter, you’d notice it, wouldn’t you? Since they are doing it, they obviously think it matters.
Did people say something nice to you? Tell them that you appreciate how nice they are. Did they do something unique that excites you? Tell them you appreciate how excited they made you feel.
Showing appreciation doesn’t have to be some gesture where you bring a ton of flowers or anything like that. All the “fluff” is just icing on the cake, but be sure to have the cake! The core of showing appreciation is to convey the message to the other person that you appreciate something they have done for you. Usually, just saying it sincerely is sufficient to convey the message.
Go ahead and thank someone for something they’ve done for you. It costs you so little, but it might mean the world to the other person!
Whether you are having a good day or and an off day, a great week or a terrible one, the importance of gratitude can lift your spirits and shift your mood, and, sometimes even those around you.
Alan Cohen said, “Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts”.
You can shine the light of your thankful thoughts towards anyone or anything, and at any time you choose.
What and whom do you appreciate in your life right now?
Kimberley Cohen suggested:
- Be thankful you woke this morning.
- Appreciate your work and that you are able to work.
- Be grateful for your home, family and friends.
- Give thanks for your life just the way it is.
- Be grateful for your freedom.
- Value yourself and others.
- Welcome the unexpected and the lessons you will learn.
- Appreciate nature and all its splendor with each passing day and season.
- Let others know how thankful you are that they are in your life.
- Give thanks for being you.
- Appreciate your body and all that it allows you to do.
- Be thankful for all or as many of the 5 senses that you have.
- Value the vast diversities in this wonderful universe.
- Be grateful you are breathing at this very minute.
- Be thankful for the “things” in your life like computers, phones, clothes, buildings, planes, cars, etc.
- Be grateful for the food that nourishes your body.
- You can give thanks for what inspires you to be the best you can be.
- You can value your life and others each and every day.
- There is so much you can appreciate right where you are in this exact moment!
Immerse yourself in gratitude each and every day and watch the miracles unfold around you as you do.
