23-298 Appreciate #4

The Mandala Lady, , , , , , , ,

Today’s Mandala Message: Embrace Both Gratitude and Appreciation

This week I’m working through Principle #53 “Practice Uncommon Appreciation”. I set my intention today to ponder gratitude and appreciation. Both are important values and yet both play different roles. From an article by Sarah Kristenson on HappierHuman.com entitled “Gratitude VS Appreciation”, Kristenson states: “Gratitude is defined as thankfulness for benefits received.  It also demonstrates gratefulness or contentment with a person or a thing for what they add to your life. ... Appreciation is enjoyment and recognition given to someone or something for the positive benefits that came out of a situation.  In addition, it is having a complete understanding of the worth or value of something.” She further clarifies: “Gratitude is something you feel thankful for within yourself.  It is more circumstantial or situational. … Appreciation is something that you extend to others.”

So what I’m getting from what she says is that gratitude is generally internal while appreciation is external. Two years ago we had our bathroom remodeled. Every time I shower or take a bath now, I feel a huge amount of gratitude for our new bathroom. It’s such a joy. While the contractors were doing the work and especially when they finished I let them know (repeatedly) how much I appreciated each of them and the quality of their work.

Gratitude and appreciation seem to go hand in hand. I can see where appreciation can be an extension of gratitude; that gratitude is at one high vibrational level and appreciation raises it to the next level by sharing that gratitude outwardly with the other person.

A good mindfulness practice would be to ponder what gratitude and appreciation mean to you and how you express them.

So how about you? Have you considered what gratitude and appreciation mean to you? Do you notice the difference between the two? Do you tend to do one more than the other?

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing.
It makes what is excellent in others
belong to us as well.”

— Voltaire

Blessings,

Maureen
The Mandala Lady
All Things Mandalas

An Invitation

I invite you to color along with me this year as part of what I’m calling “The Year of Self-Exploration and Expansion” with all of my “Mandalas of the ___” (day, week, month, year). If you’re interested in more of a self-exploration approach to coloring, check out my “Coloring Mandalas as Meditation”. You can download this mandala at MandalaoftheWeek.com.

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Published by The Mandala Lady

My Mission: connecting with our Inner Light in delightful, inspiring ways For me, creating mandalas is more than just coloring pretty patterns in a circle. I do it because my spiritual evolution and creativity require it of me. My mandala designs come about within an active meditative state, connected with my higher self, my spiritual guides and nature spirits. Together, we bring into form, mandala art the allows me to re-connect with my own inner peace and joy, letting me explore and expand my own creative spirit to however far and in whatever direction I want to take it. As part of my own spiritual journey, I encourage, and hopefully inspire, others to explore their own creativity, to help them re-connect with their own inner peace and joy. As a means to that end, I make all of my mandalas available for people to color. Why should I have all the fun?

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