A word of Appreciation

Appreciation


        Appreciation is a miraculous word that works wonders as a magical wand. There cannot be a soul or a being which doesn't crave for a sincere appreciation. Appreciation perhaps, is a reward to a dedicated, perfect and sincere effort.

         Mother Teresa says," There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread." All human beings hanker for a simple word of appreciation. Only an exceptional few are stoic in receiving praise or a criticism, the rest brood over trifles. Though religious scriptures insists on performing one's duty without expecting any reward, expectation of an honest appreciation is quite a normal tendency. Every human has uniqueness, a place which another cannot replace. Every human has a special talent, a quality, a thought, a beauty, a taste and a disposition which another cannot replicate. Those who believe in themselves and those who have a high esteem of their potentials do not anticipate a reward in any form. As Shakespeare says, “He is well paid that is well satisfied”. A person desires no greater reward than the satisfaction derived from doing
a good action. Many a times, a sublime deed is itself a reward.

         Praising a fellow being for his achievements is a prerequisite for a man of humanitarian concern. A word of appreciation instigates and has the power to transform the fallible to infallible, the ordinary to extraordinary and even a profligate to moral.

         It's the world's way to applaud the unworthy and the influential. Out of fear of losing power, wealth and dominance, men appreciate people who are flamboyant, boastful, hypocritical and pretentious. Flattering to fulfil mercenary needs ruins the real worth of praise you render a person. Sometimes this materialistic attitude of the world deprives a person from extending a worthy praise to the deserving. Some practice plagiarism of ideas to receive an unworthy praise or reward which is pernicious to creative people who rightfully deserve applause. Military personnel and guards men, who renounce and sacrifice their lives for a great cause, die without proper recognition and true justification to the service rendered by them.

        To appreciate, a man should be high-minded, magnanimous, selfless and noble. Men of authority who develop the attitude of appreciating his subordinates maintain a cordial atmosphere and see a phenomenal progress in his ventures. Reprimanding, reproaching and insulting remarks deteriorate a person's progress. Biased and egoistic remarks are like nipping a bud before it blooms.

         Dorothy Law Nolte's poem, which has become a child-rearing anthem says, “If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate." Even parents fail to appreciate their own children. We fail to appreciate: when we underestimate others' dexterity, when we are envious of the progress of a person, when we feel inferior about our incapability, when we feel superior about our own capabilities, when we are contemptuous of class, race or caste of people, when we suffer personal prejudice, when we develop a grudge or enmity, when we suffer a complex, when we are not straight-forward in achieving success, when the others achieve success through honest means, when we do not have the nobility of character, when we wish to hate, hurt & humiliate people.

        We fail to extol nature and other gifts bestowed to us by God. We fail to worship God and the godliness in a human. We lose nothing by a word of appreciation other than our ego. In praising or extolling, we acquire soulful happiness. Ponder! Appreciate and show your expression of approval and admiration. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address became a memorable speech in history only because he consecrated the martyrs who gave up their lives for a huge cause of abolishing slavery.

            Everybody loves to be appreciated, but not to appreciate others. William Janes says, "The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." In lieu of singing praises of the undeserving for personal benefits, appreciate the worthy. Whenever or in whomever we find praise-worthiness, godliness, a commendable merit, an extraordinary accomplishment, a laudable perseverance, a graceful forfeiture, a glorious achievement... hesitate not to commend them heartily.