As I write is it is the weekend and for me this is a perfect time to pause, reflect and appreciate things that are around me. From my family, the house I live in, the garden I have, the flowers that currently grow in it and the fact that my grass is green. I make a conscious point to appreciate everything I can think of. Why?
Appreciation the Key to Happiness
I don’t think we know how easy it is to fall into the “unhappy” slant in life. I also don’t think that anyone who is already there knows how they found themselves unhappy. Why? Because it is something that just slowly eats into our lives. In my opinion – appreciation is one of many ways we can stop it from happening. As entrepreneurs we need to be happy in order to be successful. It is furthermore very difficult to be creative or open with other people when we lack happiness in life.
Humans Adapt
Have you ever slept in a very uncomfortable bed for a very long time? After couple of weeks it gets more and more comfortable. Well it doesn’t really, but you just trick your mind into thinking that it’s OK and eventually just don’t notice any more. The same happens with things around us. Those new things that we felt “wow” about. They only felt this way for a while. Then we stopped the appreciation process once again. So the key is – why stop? Why stop that WOW feeling, the butterflies in the stomach? It is our choice to stop. So why would you do it when you know that this is the key to your success and happiness?
“The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Daily Practice
My family and I make a point of taking about appreciation at our meal time once a day. Noticing the small things around us or the big things that are around for long enough to become invisible. I am a true believer that my children will be happier as a result and I know that this simply ritual makes me more resilient to challenges that come my way. I attribute part of my success to that one, simple thing. Appreciation.
