Part 2 of Thanksgiving Meditation

Hopefully, you are returning this week after practicing your daily 5 minutes meditation on Being Grateful. If you are new, jump right in; there is not a right or wrong way to practice reflection. This 3-part series is simply a prompted meditation designed to help you establish a practice of acknowledging the positive energy and influences in our lives. So here we go. Still your mind, know your heart, and celebrate the cycle of giving and receiving in which you have participated.

MEDITATION 2: APPRECIATION
The meaning of appreciation is the recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something. In other words, appreciation relates to being, not doing. It is about celebrating who other people are and how they show up.

Meditation Activity

1. Set a timer for 5 minutes (a fixed time allows you to focus without interrupting thoughts and ideas)
2. Select a category or context as a trigger for your reflection (e.g., family, work colleagues, community affiliates, personal friends, teammates, etc.)
3. Think of the people with whom you engage in that context/category: (1) Visualize the person's face. (2) Identify individuals whose way of interacting with you creates a positive impact. (3) State out loud or in writing your appreciation for the person by naming the specific qualities that you value.
4. Select one category per day unless you need more than the 5-minutes to include everyone. 
5. Feel free to spread the positive feelings that you create during your meditation by expressing your appreciation to the individual verbally or in writing.

​We all tend to critically assess ourselves and others. Similar to the physician's model, we focus on identifying the problem or the flaw and fail to mention the more lengthy list of good things.  

​I hope that you adopt the practice of appreciation into your daily life. Be assured that taking a few seconds to notice and speak words of appreciation regularly drives away negativity in our own lives and boosts the self-esteem of the people around us.

​Don't forget to update me on how you are enjoying this meditation series by commenting here or on social media. 

My friendships appreciation list:
Shay - loves to laugh
Teresa - brings calm to any situation
Rayanne - abundant generosity
Tina - welcoming and inclusive
​Maryanne - keeps it real
Laurie - no drama
Maureen - no expectations
Joy - fully present