how to appreciate
been doing some contemplating about the difference between appreciation and gratitude. gratitude feels reflective and comparative. i think back on and feel grateful. i see what i have in comparison to others and i’m grateful. i walk by a laundromat and i’m grateful i have a washing machine. i hear about how someone’s boss treated them and i’m grateful i’m my own boss. i eat a delicious meal and i’m grateful we could afford it. theoretically, i’m grateful for the earth growing it and the farmers tending it and the businesses and people that got it to my plate, the money that bought it. but am i expressing it? am i really, truly appreciating it?
appreciation feels present. fueled by wonder and awe. it is acknowledging the value of someone or something in real time. it is how others inspire you. appreciation is holding the gem of this moment in your hand and looking at all its facets. seeing all its facets. in awe of all its facets. it demands your attention and comprehension. really, truly immersing yourself in the act of appreciating will bring up that enraptured feeling of awe, kind of like when the universe feels too big to even comprehend. can you believe this?! can you wrap your head around this?! this is amazing awesome and wonderful. you are amazing awesome and wonderful and here is why.
it’s like the difference between looking and seeing. listening and hearing. eating and tasting. touching and feeling. smelling and remembering.
the difference between “i’m grateful for you” and “i appreciate how you are always offering me a different way of looking at things” “i appreciate the grace you give me when i am running late” “i appreciate how you listen to me when i’m struggling.”
one is an just act. the other is immersive, requiring all of you to pay attention… and maybe get a little specific. to get out of your head and into your body and FEEL the wonder that is the person in front of you. the kitty on your lap. the food on your plate. the couch under your butt. the sky above you. the ground below you. the stuff around you. feel it and value it. and maybe, express it. specifically.
appreciation, value, worth, wonder, awe, and that spacious feeling of expansiveness in the presence of these are all qualities of the Metal element. and while there are many wonderful points on the Lung and Large Intestine meridians to help you let go of the excess, extract the gems and appreciate them, my favorite point to remind the body of the beauty in the world is KI26, Amidst Elegance, located in the intercostal space just below your collarbone. give it a rub, take a deep breath, and invite in the beauty of the world and really, truly feel it. and maybe even express it, specifically.
by Amanda Briody