Appreciative

Yesterday at work I received an e-mail from a partner about a web site called appreciate-it.com (http://www.appreciate-it.com/). The web site is designed to encourage people to describe who or what they appreciate in life. The site is, of course, doing this for advertising purposes – they plan to submit this list as the longest, most sentimentalist holiday letter of all time to the Guinness Book of World Records. But business purposes aside, it is an uplifting site.

As you might imagine, the things people list as being appreciative of vary widely. But for the most part, the things people appreciate most are simple things. Like, “loving someone and having them love you back” (no. 4271), “being a part of something” (no. 4214), “second chances” (no. 4155), “making it through a tough year” (no. 4590); “my faith”(no. 4546); “the chance to make a difference” (no. 4500). People also were also very appreciative of each other, sometimes listing the names of people who made a difference, other times listing descriptors like, “my rock star kids” (no. 4487), friends who come early and stay late” (no. 4295), “my mother, who works like there’s no tomorrow, for my tomorrow” (no. 4337); and “the guy who rescued me when my car got stuck in the ice last night” (no. 4133).

What a great message for this time of year. As we wrap up (pun intended) the final shopping days and start planning our holiday dinners, it is easy to get distracted by all that “has” to be done or the pressure of having a picture-perfect holiday. But no matter what’s under the tree on Christmas morning, we all have things to be thankful for.

I encourage all of you to go to the site for a few minutes today and read what people are appreciating in December 2010. It’ll lift your heart, and possibly make you laugh (see no. 4133). It’s just the thing to help each us keep what’s truly important in perspective at we head to the final holiday stretch.

And, if  reading all these wonderful things that people are thankful for in their lives doesn’t quite push you over the edge into a happy mood, remind yourself that today is Friday. And next week has a holiday. 

Karen