Word Of The Day Appreciation

What you appreciate will directly determine the quality of your life! 

December Breakthrough With Lew

Word Of The Day Appreciation

What do you appreciate today?

Take a second and really ask that question with a full expectation of an answer!

One of three things may happen when you ask this question:

• You get a clear and compelling answer that makes you feel deep appreciation, excitement, happiness or all three!
• You may say “I have nothing to appreciate!” because you are in a dark place, a rut or just not motivated to look for it! This state would be more a feeling of desperation.
• You just feel neutral or meh and really just don’t have either a feeling of appreciation nor desperation.

Where are you right now? Honestly where are you, not where you would try to convince me that you are?

If I asked most people which of the above were the worst place to be they would say number two. The truth is the most dangerous is number three, being meh or neutral!

Let me explain why I say that.

In the first you are there! You appreciate something or in most cases many things in your life.  This does don’t mean that life is a dream, kumbaya, and you have no problems. It does mean you have a strong appreciation for what you have, your aspirations and your growth. In this state you will appreciate what you have and bring it to the next level!

In the second, where you may proclaim strongly that you have nothing to appreciate or even be in a state of desperation you may and likely will hit that rock bottom which will stimulate fast, massive, and immediate change!  This can be view as a great place to be because many comeback stories are written here because it gives you the massive push that something has to change now!

The third is the death rattle to appreciation and any success in life! This is known as complacency! This is where you could be in a state of “settling” for what is BUT not being energized, motivated nor happy with!  You can spot this in someone when you ask them how they are and they may give an answer like” doin ok, status quo, goin with the flow and so on.”

The reason this is such a dangerous state is there is neither that “juice” for life that you get when you are in a deep state of appreciation nor the overwhelming drive to change when you are in a state of desperation!

Let me ask you some questions that will be though provoking to help you really get the concept.

Which of the three states would you want to influence your children with when helping them to consider a career path?

Would you encourage them to go into a career that fulfills them on a deeper level than just money? A career where they would appreciate the benefits of loving what they do and being in an environment where they are appreciated.

Would you encourage them to go into a career they would hate and be stressed or in danger every day?

Would you encourage them to go into a career that the reason is because Grandpa or Grandma did that job, it has security and/or a good retirement BUT there is no room for personal growth and does not challenge them?

It is obvious which one of the above states goes along with the answer to each question. But wait Coach you said number two wasn’t a bad state to be in because it leads to massive change sometime, right? Glad you are paying attention.  There is a double edge to this! If it leads to a breakthrough then it is good. If it doesn’t it leads to even a more dramatic number 3!

Let me give you a quick example!

Little Johnny as a kid is a bit lazy and just wants to play video games all the time.  The thing is he has a creative knack for designing improvements for them, but he is now 18 and showing no signs of getting a job, continuing his education nor moving out of the house before age 40!

Mom and Dad strategize and get him a job working doing landscaping and it kicks his butt so bad he can barely move; he is razzed by his coworkers because he is not strong, and he hates that job!

In the best case this drives him to appreciate the value of getting some education in game creation, writing code or other career that he can put his skills towards that does not involve doing something he hates every day and then he appreciates the new way of making a living!

The worst-case scenario is he just feels stuck in that job and doesn’t step up to pursue his calling and settles for the landscaping job and grows in to an ability to do it and settles for making a decent living doing something that is just meh!

I am by all means not saying physical work is bad, as a matter of fact I highly recommend it whether it is in your financial job or in the other areas of your life nor Am I saying doing landscaping is always a number scenario as some people love and appreciate that as their career, but in Johnnys scenario that is not the case.

Before we finish up for today, I will share with you a quick formula to get into the state of appreciation!

First, ask yourself what do I appreciate today? This is great to begin your morning with this question as it will give you a list of one or more things you appreciate and jumpstart your day.

If you get a compelling list that makes you jump out of bed ready to tackle the day with a big smile, then you are already there…Get rock your day!

If you ask and your answer is a big fat “NOTHING!!” then ask the next question which is What could I appreciate today?  Look for even the smallest thing. Sometimes it is simply the fact you God or however you call your creator gave you another day to open your eyes! Soon when you develop a habit of consistently asking the question your brain will give you answers and suddenly you do have appreciation! Keep practicing as it is a journey not a destination!

If you answer is well not much but life is ok, you must ask why do I feel like this? Then ask what can I do today to contribute to someone else to make them appreciate me? What that will do will give you the feeling of appreciation so you can start to understand how good it feels.

You can wake up and say “I am happy, I am happy, I am happy” and your brain will still say BS. Wake up and make it your mission to make a loved one very happy and it will reflect like a mirror back on you!

Translating back to appreciation how about waking up and appreciating what you have already and then asking how could I appreciate this even more every day!

My challenge to you is to commit for the next 30 days to wake up every morning and ask…What do I really appreciate? Why do I appreciate that? How can I show my appreciation more? What else could I appreciate that would make me happier and appreciate my life every day no matter what challenges arise?

It is my belief that after 30 days your body and mind will be so addicted to seeking ways to appreciate that it will become a part of you!

So let me ask you one last time today….What do you appreciate today?

My friends this is not always going to be an easy journey but I can’t stress enough that you get one life, this is not a rehearsal for the next go round!  Live you life today like it matters because it does and it is the only one you get! 

With that all said make sure to watch the video, take action today, get some coaching and step up to the life you desire and deserve!

Live with faith, energy, passion and always live your dreams!

-Coach Lew