This past week, my sister and I had a conversation about gratitude and appreciation which stemmed from some lectures we had watched on you tube. Actually, my sister saw the lecture first and mentioned it to me and I am so glad she did. (I have been thinking about this subject since we discussed it as well as watching the lecture a few more times - I have it bookmarked.)
I have posted on gratitude and then on remembering (which related to gratitude); appreciation adds a deeper dimension, I believe, to gratitude. ( I am hoping to find the adequate words to clearly express my new-found ideas.)
Some thoughts on appreciation (as seen on you tube from lectures listed under Esther Hicks. *disclaimor: some of the content in her lectures is a little "woo woo" which I then translate into my understanding of truth) : Appreciation- to see the nature or to increase the value of.... Love and appreciation are the same; appreciation is the absence of everything that feels bad and the presence of everything that feels good. (For example: sometimes in my gratitude journal I have listed, positive results i have chosen coming out of negative experiences, which still keeps me remembering the negative experiences instead of only focusing on things, people or situations that I love and appreciate.) Using the feelings of appreciation move us up the emotional scale into a better feeling state.
As I have been using appreciation each evening in writing in my gratitude journal, my gratitudes have been acknowledged more out of love and appreciation (as well as in remembering where my blessings have come from). As I have written, I have felt appreciation and love, and I have felt my soul enlarged and my heart more opened as a result of viewing the wonderful (or even common but wonderful) events, people and things in my everyday life. As I am seeing it in a different light, I believe I am open to even more of feelings of appreciation and love: I am open to more joy.
I quoted Oprah a few posts ago, but I'm going to do it again since I love what she said,
" When you live with an open heart, unexpected, joyful things happen all the time if you care to open your eyes and your heart and see and feel them. Joy is all around.
This Thursday we'll have our Thanksgiving Feast (and overeat and enjoy friends and family and watch parades or football games, as well as remember our blessings). When I attended Trinity Heights Baptist Christian Academy (long story as to "why"), we used to sing a short but poignant song in assembly that even after MANY years I haven't forgotten the words to:
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him, all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye Heavenly Hosts,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost."
I have blessings too numerous to list at this moment on my blog (and would you really want to read all of them?), but needless to say I feel love and appreciation to my Heavenly Father for them all no matter how large or how small they may be. I am grateful that as I appreciate and love blessings I receive daily, I am open to even more love and joy in my life.
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