Appreciations

What is it about appreciation that makes such a difference,

everywhere and in everything?

Are we truly ruled by it, our emotions tethered to the appreciation we receive?

Do we really need it in our lives?

Is it essential for happiness, an actual necessity, or simply a desire?

Not exactly.

Yet appreciation does make a difference.

Even when we understand its fleeting nature, it can still warm the heart, if not for long, then at least for a moment.

It’s deeply embedded in our social fabric, present across cultures and generations.

But sometimes, it's worth looking beyond appreciation itself.

To notice the hidden gestures behind it: the rewards, the care, the recognition.

We must acknowledge how accustomed we've become to seeking it, so much so that its presence or absence can shape our moods, decisions, even our self-worth.

We need to discern what genuinely matters to us, and what is merely noise, an echo of our desire for validation.

Let’s try to see the gesture, not just the words.

And even when no gestures come our way, let’s be patient.

Eventually, we may realize that the moments we weren’t appreciated shaped us even more than those when we were.

Let’s walk our paths, not ruled by praise, nor driven by the hunger for validation.

Hello, World. Let's design a life that's truly our own.

Prefer a video version of this story?