Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement

There’s one thing we all have in common. It’s the desire to be acknowledged. Not necessarily the desire to be acknowledged for something we’ve done or something we have, but to be acknowledged as a human being. If we are acknowledged, we feel valued and I believe every human has an internal desire for this.

Let’s take a walk back through your childhood. Who acknowledged you as a child? Was it a parent or grandparent? How did they acknowledge you? Was it with a smile, a hug or a hello? Maybe it was even a step further, and someone played a game with you. Maybe someone took the time to bake cookies or decorate them with you. Maybe someone showed interest in what you were doing and asked you questions to find out more about your interests. These are all common ways someone could have acknowledged you. If you had these experiences with someone in your life, you are a blessed person, and I hope you will model this for others in your life. Not all people had a caring adult in their lives to acknowledge them. Some people might say, “I wasn’t acknowledged for anything growing up, and I am just fine”. If this is the case, you are blessed to be a resilient person, and you have prospered even in adversity. It is my hope in writing this blog post that we all will evaluate how and when we acknowledge others.

I would like to challenge everyone to become aware of the people in your lives – acquaintances, friends, family – and figure out a way to acknowledge them. If you can do this in a meaningful way, you will see and feel a shift in their energy, as well as your own energy. They will become more open to communication with people and excited to build positive relationships in the world. By taking the time to acknowledge someone, you are taking part in creating a ripple effect of love and kindness in the world. All people – extroverts and introverts – experience a positive feeling when someone takes the time to look them in the eye and give them a smile. Acknowledging someone doesn’t always have to be time consuming. Smiles and nods are easy and take only mere seconds. Sending out these positive feelings will nourish souls, and will eventually find its way back to you. I believe, what you put out into the world, will come back to you. Let’s make a commitment to start putting good out there by fulfilling a basic need of all people – acknowledgement.

A few questions….

1. Who do you recall taking the time to acknowledge you as child? How did that person do so? Tell the story.
2. How do you feel when someone acknowledges you for something positive you have done or simply how you choose to be? Does it change your attitude? If so, how?
3. Who do you encounter in your life, whom you don’t necessarily take a moment to acknowledge, because you’re too busy or just don’t realize the importance? What are ways you could change this?

Growing word by word,

Jackie