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

Appreciation is one of the most beautiful and enriching experiences we can have as human beings. At its core, to appreciate someone or something is to recognize and feel gratitude for the value, merit, or excellence in that person or thing. When we truly appreciate, we open ourselves up to seeing and celebrating the good in the world around us.

By appreciating others, we gain the profound ability to make their gifts, talents, and qualities our own in a sense. We spiritually partake in and are elevated by their magnificence through the act of recognizing and revering it. The greatness they embody becomes ours to enjoy and be inspired by as well. An appreciation for excellence acts as a bridge connecting us to those we admire.

Think of the last time you were moved by a breathtaking piece of art, a sublime musical performance, or a display of moral courage by someone. In those moments, did you not feel enlarged on the inside? Did not the universe feel grander and more wondrous? That uplifting of the spirit happens through appreciation. We get to bask in the warm light of another's brilliance and have it illuminate our own lives.

Appreciation has a compounding effect too. The more we exercise this wise muscle of recognizing and celebrating the wonderful in our fellow humans, the richer our own inner lives become. We accumulate a bounty of inspiration, beauty, and meaning extracted from appreciating the manifold examples set by others. Their genius gradually becomes songlines that we joyfully internalize.

Additionally, extending authentic appreciation is one of the greatest gifts we can give to people. To have our talents, virtues, or achievements truly seen and valued by others fills our hearts in a unique way. The powerful acknowledgment inherent to appreciation lets people know that their struggles,sacrifices, andtriumphs have created something meaningful. It bestows a supreme form of savoring upon them.

In many ways, appreciation is the lifeblood of cultural progress too. Societies that foster wide appreciation for the arts, sciences, skillful craftsmanship, moral leadership, and other high accomplishments go further than ones that neglect or diminish those vital wellsprings. An appreciative society recognizes and nurtures what is most elevating in its members.

So let us vow to be connoisseurs and celebrants of the remarkable wherever we find it. The more we appreciate the excellent impressions people leave on the world, the more we partake of that excellence ourselves. Their light intertwines with our own in an upward spiral of mutual inspiration. Appreciation is a wonderful thing indeed - it makes the brilliant and the beautiful multiply.