Gratitude or Appreciation?

A funny thing happened on the way to writing an article about Gratitude. I changed my consciousness.

For quite a while, I've been attaching "I am grateful for" in front of all of my affirmations. I had heard, and accepted, the words of others who spoke about the importance of gratitude. But this morning, something was niggling at my brain. Something felt out of balance about this. Gratitude, in this new state of mind, seemed to have a thought of lack attached to it. I'm a proponent of what quantum physicists and spiritual leaders expound: What you focus on, you get more of. Since this has been my own life experience, I wanted to look deeper.

Pulling the dictionary from the shelf, I looked up Gratitude: A feeling of thankful appreciation for favors or benefits received. I looked up Favor. Amidst the many variations of meaning was: A kind, obliging, friendly, or generous act. Benefit: A kindly, charitable act.

These definitions supported my underlying unrest about Gratitude. A favor, by its nature - most of us have heard or read the phrase "I called in a favor" - implies something done that obligates the receiver to the giver. Benefit carries the energy of charity. Both of these imply that someone is in a state of lack.

I moved on to Appreciation, or its root - Appreciate: To think well of; understand and enjoy; recognize the value of. No mention of lack-just enjoyment, understanding, and recognition of value, on some level, of something.

What is the significance or difference? Let's try an example using both terms. You sit down to a meal and say, "I am grateful." Behind that may lie gratitude that you are not one of the starving millions on the planet or one of the homeless you passed on the street.

Now suppose you say, "I appreciate this." You appreciate the food and what it provides to your body. You appreciate every person who made it possible for you to be able to have access to the food - whoever produced or acquired the food, the processors and packers, the store owner for providing a location where you could get it, the work you do that provides the funds to buy it.

It may seem a subtle distinction, but it's there. When you read the last two paragraphs, what was your inner sense, your feeling, your gut level reaction? Which emotion or thought would you rather project outward: Fear of lack or appreciation?

What about giving? Find a way to attach appreciation to it, even if it's only to appreciate the fact that you have something you can share with another. Work with this until you can remove any thought of lack you attach to the act or recipient.

The next time you pay a bill, ask yourself what you appreciate about the service or product it provides. When you go to make a purchase, ask yourself if the price is in alignment with the level of appreciation you will feel for it once it is yours. As you consider anything, even relationships, give thought to your level of appreciation in its regard. And, don't be surprised at the insights that come to you when you put this into practice.