IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT WE KNOW BUT IT DOES MATTER WHAT WE DO!!!

Many of us have brilliant ideas and/or learn amazing new concepts all the time. However, until we put these insights into action they have no impact on our lives. Appreciation is often one of these "insights."

Most of us know how important it is to appreciate ourselves and others, and to live with an attitude of gratitude.

However, knowing about the importance of appreciation and acting in an appreciative way are two totally different things.

Here are a few simple and powerful actions you can take on a regular basis to increase your personal level of appreciation and that of those around you:

5 Simple Acts of Appreciation:

1) Write heartfelt thank you notes: In today's fast-paced world of email, cell phones, instant messages, and more, the power of a hand-written, thank you note is immeasurable.

Each week pick out at least one person in your life you would like to acknowledge. Sit down and write a heartfelt thank you note to that person and send it to them in the mail -- yes, the "snail mail." See how they respond. They will love it and so will you.

One week, write the note to yourself and send it in the mail to your home. You will not believe how good it feels to get that card in the mail. 

2) Use a "gratitude" journal: A gratitude journal is a place where you write down things that you are grateful for, what you are proud of, and all the positive stuff that is happening in your life.

This journal is a safe place for you to express your gratitude, about yourself and your life, on a regular basis.

Regardless of our circumstances, there are always things to be grateful for. And, the more attention we focus on being grateful, the more we have to be grateful for. It is amazing how this works.

3) Compliment people: Make a commitment to go out of your way to "catch people doing things right" and let them know about it. We always find what we look for and if we look for the greatness in others, we will find it.

Once we find that greatness, we then have a choice about whether or not to share it with them. It sometimes takes courage on our part, but when we acknowledge other people (in a genuine way), not only do we create a win-win situation; we actually encourage more of the behavior, attitudes, and/or attributes that we appreciate in them.

4) When people compliment you, say "thank you" and then shut your mouth: The irony about appreciation is that most of us are starving for it and many of us are horrible at accepting it.

The best example of this is how awkward and weird people often get when they are complimented. Even if you feel funny or uncomfortable when people compliment you, simply say "thank you" and then shut up.

Whatever you say after that (a self-deprecating joke, a quick complimentary response, etc.) is often a way of avoiding the appreciation and/or deflecting the compliment.

Just like a birthday present, say "thank you" and accept the gift (compliment) that is being giving to you. The better you become at receiving compliments, the more you will get.

5) Start and end meetings with appreciation: When you get together with other people for a business meeting, a family dinner, an informal gathering, a team session, or anything else, one of the best things you can do is to start and end the meeting with appreciation.

At the beginning, have people talk for a few minutes about what is working, what is going well, and what they are excited or happy about. This starts the meeting off on a positive note. At the end, take a few minutes for acknowledgments. Allow people to compliment each other, thank one another, point out strengths, and focus on what is being accomplished.

Starting and ending meetings with appreciation makes everyone feel better about themselves, the work that is being done, and about the group as a whole.

These are just a few simple examples of the many actions we can take to increase our personal level of appreciation and that of the people around us. Now the million-dollar question is, what will you actually do?