Why is it important to Appreciate and Acknowledge One Another?
As a child, I remember hearing adults and the people around me say, “You’re welcome,” far more frequently than we do today. I was raised to thank others whenever they did something on my behalf. I was expected to acknowledge them with “Thank you.” They were expected to respond with “You’re welcome,” all was well. Whenever I failed to respond with “Thank you,” I was reprimanded. I quickly learned to repair my mistake. I recall when I was about thirteen years old, paying extra attention to responding, “Thank you.”
That was then. Today, I sense our social fabric has frayed and we have been growing further and further apart. We live in a divided society where the social values of speaking politely have weakened. I feel uneasy when I hear some of my client couples say, “I say “You’re welcome” to strangers more often than I do at home.”
We were born into relationships and will continue to live in relationships for the rest of our lives. Restoring the language of acknowledgment and speaking appreciation is and will be fundamental for the well-being of every area of our society, from marriage and family and raising our children to the places we work.
I invite us to review, relearn, and work to reinstall the practices of affirmation, acknowledgment, and appreciation. We begin with “Thank you” and “You are welcome.”
Begin by looking for opportunities to express “Thank you” and “You are welcome” to anyone in your life, from home to work. Seek out opportunities to express, “I admire you. I respect you. I am grateful to you. I am proud of you. I love you for” to one another, children, friends, and anyone you meet or with whom you work. When we appreciate and acknowledge someone, they feel good about themselves and feel good about the one who acknowledged them.
Why is it essential to acknowledge and appreciate one another?
The word acknowledge contains the word “Know.” When we acknowledge one another, we experience being known. Being known makes us feel good about ourselves and connects us to the ones who appreciate us. Feeling appreciated and acknowledged is pleasurable. We know we are not alone in moments of acknowledgment. Our feelings are similar to being loved. In the moments of appreciation, we know we belong,
In the following passages, we will relearn how to acknowledge and appreciate one another in several ways, beginning with “Thank You” and “You’re Welcome.”
“Thank you,” and You’re welcome.”
Speaking “Thank You” and “You’re Welcome” invites us to create an emotional and spiritual “handshake.” “Thank You. You’re Welcome” invites us to enjoy mutual awareness and connection. “Thank You,” “You’re Welcome,” declares, “I am here, you are here, you are real. I see and acknowledge you; you see and acknowledge me.” Responding to one another with a warm “You’re welcome,” we feel connected and alive.
On the other hand, when we respond to one another with, “No problem,” “I am good,” “No worries,” “Think nothing of it,” or offer a head nod or silence, we feel far less alive. Having missed a moment of acknowledgment, we’ve lost opportunity, connection, and sadness. It is as if the moment of affirmation never happened. We walk away discouraged, not knowing why we feel saddened.
Look for opportunities to thank them for something they did, an action they took, a choice they made,
For example. “Thank you for…” clearing the dinner table, emptying the dishwasher, picking up after the children or dogs, doing the laundry, going shopping, and picking up the dry cleaning. Please do this at least five times a day, taking turns, until you have reestablished the practice of expressing gratitude and it has become a habit.
Appreciate them for their ways of being.
Ways of being include many ways of Being and acting, such as being a good mother, good father, caring partner, intelligent, caring, considerate, or funny. You might say, “Thank you for being generous, being loving, flexible, creative, a diligent worker, a good father,” and so forth.
Admire them. I admire you for… is heartfelt and positively influences the one you admire. For example, take turns saying, “I acknowledge you for being:” Loving, caring, fun, funny, considerate, a good parent, an industrious worker. The one who received the appreciation says “Thanks” and receives “You’re welcome” in return. Please do this at least five times until you have installed it, until admiration has become habitual, and you no longer need to think about it.
Respect them. How often do others let us know we are respected? Speak “I respect you to one another, to our children, in marriage and at work. Start by respecting one another, then go on to others.
Be grateful to them for: How often do we take the time to experience and express gratitude? Start with “I am grateful for taking over when I was tired. “I am grateful to you for doing the shopping,”
“I am grateful for making time for me and the children.”
Be proud of them Many of us may never have experienced others telling us they were proud of us for anything! Here is our opportunity to show our partners, children, parents, and friends that we are proud of them for going the extra mile for their professional accomplishments, personal achievements, etc.
Love them. My acknowledgment includes the word love. Our acknowledgment comes from our hearts. For example, “I love you for your kindness. I love how you take care of our children. I love you for preparing healthy meals for our family. I love you for taking care of your aging parents. I felt so much love for you, for us.”
The bottom line: Our words of acknowledgment: Leave people feeling good about themselves. They enjoy an expanded sense of self-worth and connection to the world. Appreciation reinforces positive attitudes and behaviors of us and our children. Acknowledgement causes people to gain higher regard and respect for you, who provided the acknowledgment. Their listening to anything you say in the future may grow. An important function of leadership is to grant the employees or staff members a sense of where they fit and their importance to our family, community, company business, and the world we share.
Acknowledgment and appreciation change our world and our connection to our world and one another.
Thank you for reading this.
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