The Power of an Appreciation Letter (A Raw and Vulnerable Blog)

As a child, you were probably taught
‘If you have something nice to say, say it and if you haven’t got anything nice to say, just say nothing at all’.

If you have something nice to say, say oitIn today’s society, it seems to be acceptable to ‘speak your truth’ even if the words are hurtful and not necessary. Some people have forgotten to live by this mantra.

Many people are great at the ‘say nothing at all part’, and that is a great start, however there is a magic power to putting both part of this mantra into action and saying out loud the lovely things that come into your head.

Your friends and family do so much for you every single day and a lot of it goes unnoticed and unappreciated. Imagine the impact on the people around you if you suddenly started acknowledging and appreciating them! And the super cool thing is that as well as making them (and you) feel great, you will also increase their self-worth and pro-social behaviour, they are more likely to appreciate the people that know - sending ripples of loveliness out into the world. This is such a simple mantra, but such a great way to live your life.

There is so much going on in life, that we have to constantly choose what to focus on. The great news is that we are in control of this and develop habits around the things we choose to pay attention to. You can make a decision right now to make time to notice what you love most about the people around you today. This is such a wonderful focus to brighten up your day and a wonderful way to live your life.

The things you love most about your friends and family will pop into your head, and to live by the mantra, all you need to do is say them out loud, or write them down in an appreciation note. Taking the time and effort to make a specific connection with someone, letting them know how much they have impacted your life, is powerful stuff! It can save someone in their darkest hour, or simply brighten a day.

I clearly remember the first time I wrote a genuine, intentional Appreciation Note. It was to may Dad who I knew was dying. The words didn’t come easy to me, but I knew how much of an impact an Appreciation Note would have, so I forced myself to write down all the things I loved about him. I knew them in my heart, but I rarely took the time to say them out loud.

I remember clearly putting the note in my Dad’s hand and watching his face as he read it. It was his eyes that I remember most, firstly the curiosity, then the pure unbridled joy and finally the happy tears. The connection that we had in that moment was stronger, closer, more significant than any other moment in our joint lives. After he died, I found the note had pride of place on top of his most cherished possessions.

Appreciation Note

Why do we wait until someone is about to die to tell them the impact they have had on our life?

Believe me, this is important. Make people feel that it matters that they are here, that they are in your life.

Because it does matter. Often we have no idea just how much.

Julie x

If you are struggling with the words, check out the Theta #shareyourthree range, where most of the work is done for you - just add three sentences to the card for a beautiful appreciation note.

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