Lana Gates
  • Home Page
  • Gulliver's Travels
  • Lana's Book
  • Life Speak Blog
  • About
  • Contact

Life Speak
Inspiration for everyday living

Expressing Approval and Gratitude

11/19/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
Photo: Daniel Foster
Powerful words come in threes: I love you. I was wrong. Way to go!
 
Yesterday, a stranger added to that collection when she told me, “We appreciate you.” She and her boyfriend had just bought some things from my yard sale, and we had spent a little bit of time chatting. Her parting words stuck with me the remainder of the day.
 
Can you really appreciate someone you hardly know? I contemplated that at length and realized yes, indeed you can. We appreciate the restaurant servers who bring us our food. We appreciate the grocery clerks who help us find items we’re searching for. We appreciate the drivers who give us space to change lanes in front of them.
 
Despite that, I don’t think I’ve ever told one of those people, “I appreciate you,” although I have shared those words with people I know. It seems like such a personal statement — especially to me, a person whose love language is words of affirmation. I like my words to be genuine. After all, our words are powerful.
 
Maybe I should start saying that phrase more. It does feel good to be appreciated. Can I in good conscience tell someone I don’t know very well I appreciate them? Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines appreciation as an “expression of gratification and approval, of gratitude.” In light of that, I think I can, but I have to caution against overdoing it and the words becoming meaningless.
 
The next time you appreciate someone, will you tell them? The world needs more attitudes of gratitude. I’m thankful for that stranger yesterday who made my day. Now it’s my turn to pass it on.​

You might also like:
2 Simple Words — Or Are They?
A Gentle Answer
One Person Can Change the World
1 Comment
Sandra Marinella link
11/19/2017 07:16:18 pm

Yes. Simple and true. Three words can make all the difference!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Lana Gates

    Christian, wife, mother of 5, breast cancer survivor, marathon finisher, writer and editor, author of "Help! I'm a Science Project"

      Subscribe

    Subscribe to blog

    Archives

    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home Page
  • Gulliver's Travels
  • Lana's Book
  • Life Speak Blog
  • About
  • Contact