JL KAH

How do you feel when you are being appreciated?  When your kid tells you that you are his greatest inspiration.  When your spouse gives you a back massage.  When your boss praises you in front of your colleagues.  When you receive a thank-you note from a customer.  When a stranger holds the door for you.  When someone says thank you.

The feeling is wonderful, right?  You feel yourself being lifted and any worry or frustration you may have at the moment simply disappear.  The effect can be nourishing and/or healing.  Since being appreciated is such a wonderful gift and it really doesn’t cost much, why not make it a habit to show your appreciation and make someone’s day whenever you can?

You can show your appreciation in many ways.  It does not have to be elaborate.  It’s the thought that counts.  Here’s some suggestions:

1) Say thank you.  It is the easiest thing to do and it creates warm and good feelings.  Do it often.  When someone brings you something.  When someone helps you.  When someone makes your day.

2) Send a thank-you note or card.  There are many occasions to write.  For a good dining experience.  For an issue satisfactorily resolved.  For help received.  For great time spent together.

3) Give sincere compliments.  If you like your colleague’s new hair style, tell her so.  If you like a friend’s idea, say so.  If you see a beautiful piece of floral arrangement, compliment the person behind the great work.

4) Plant small surprises.  Give a small present or hand-made gift when it is not expected.  You do not have to wait till birthdays or some occasions to show your appreciation.

5) Recognize efforts even if the outcome is unknown.  When your child puts in effort to improve his grade.  When your staff stays behind to handle a last-minute order.  When your spouse is on his first attempt to cook a meal.  Appreciate their efforts.  Say something nice to motivate.

6) Show your appreciation in person.  Tell the person how much you appreciate him or her.  Let the person know that he or she matters a lot to you.

7) Show your appreciation through actions.  Gave the person a warm bear hug.  Instead of ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’, try ‘a hug a day keeps the doctor away’.

8)  Do something impromptu.  Tell your wife not to cook this evening as you will bring the family out for dinner.  Give her a well deserved break.

9) Always focus on the good in people and tell them so.  Spread goodwill, sprinkle sunshine.

Show your appreciation.  Help make our living space more joyful and meaningful.

Life can get boring if we live day in day out doing the same things and following the same routine.  Why not inject something new into your life?  It can be something informative, entertaining, interesting, fun, enjoyable or fulfilling.  Learn one new thing every day.  Enrich yourself.  Stretch yourself.  Stretch your imagination.  Stretch your possibilities.

Here are some suggestions:

1) Learn at least 5 new words daily.  Read the papers.  Read the magazines.  Write down 5 words that you do not understand.  Check the meaning and write them in a notebook.  Read them and remember them.  Find opportunities to use the words you have learned.

2) Learn about the stuff that goes into your body.  Get the ingredients list of the things you eat.  Look them up and know what goes into you.  Learn how to stay healthy.

3) Learn how to set up a blog if you haven’t got one.  Surf the net for advice.  Share your expertise and talents through your blog.  Enrich the life of others while enriching yourself.

4) For those of you who have a passion for cooking, why not surf the internet or borrow a cook book  from the library and learn an interesting recipe?  Besides having fun, you can surprise and delight your loved ones with your tender loving cooking.

5) Learn how to keep your cool when angry.  Learn how to be more understanding and compassionate.  Learn how to be a better person.  Seek advice and help.  It’s everywhere.  On the net.  In the books.  Over the tapes.

6) Learn a new language.  Learn body language.  Learn how to quit smoking and drinking or any undesirable habits…The list goes on.

Take your time.  Learn one new thing every day.  Enjoy and have fun.

Often we start a new day not knowing how the day will turn out to be.  It doesn’t have to be like that.  You can decide how you would like the day to be.  Take over the steering wheel.  Drive towards a bright day today.

Not too sure how to go about doing it?  Not to worry.  Here’s 9 simple ways to brighten your day:

1) The first thing you do when you wake up in the morning – smile as happy as you can even if you may not feel upbeat early in the morning.  This will help set the right tone for the day.

2) Be thankful.  Appreciate that you are alive.  That you have a job or work to do.  It does not matter whether you are working for someone, working for yourself or working at home.

3) Keep happy and positive thoughts through the day.  No matter how the day unfolds, always stay cool and positive.  If you detect negative thoughts or emotions surfacing, overwhelm them with positive thoughts and emotions.

4) Be generous with your smile.  It doesn’t cost you a cent but it sure can bring wonders.

5) Find opportunity to do something nice.  Give way on the road.  Hold the door for someone.  Be friendly to a newcomer.  Acknowledge kind acts.

6) Do not gossip.  Do not judge.  If you have nice things to say, say them aloud.  If you do not have nice things to say, just keep your mouth shout.

7) Look for the good in the people around you.  If you see otherwise, quickly erase the thought and look for the good instead.

8)  Treat yourself well.  Take time to enjoy your cup of coffee or tea.  Choose something you like to eat at lunch instead of settling for something convenient.

9) Know that you hold the key to your day.  If you want a bright day, you just have to switch on the lights.  Don’t walk about in darkness.

Do you feel that life is tough?  That you have to work so very hard.  That money is lacking.  That financial commitments are overwhelming.  That you have no luck.  That people look down on you.  That people are unfriendly.  That you are destined for a life of loneliness.  That you will not be able to do any better than this.  That you will have to work to the very day you die.

Life is not meant to be so.  Life is supposed to be an adventure ride.  You are supposed to have fun when you are here.  You are not here to worry about your job.  To worry that money is lacking.  To worry how others are behaving.  To worry about how to cope with life.

Discard the thinking that life is tough.  Believe that you are here to experience and have fun while living your intended purpose.  Trust that the universe is in infinite supply.  That it is always overflowing with abundance.  If life is tough, then you are not living life the way you are intended to live.  Find out the way.  Not by peeping outside but by searching deep within yourself.

Ask yourself what is the kind of ideal life you want to have.  What type of work do you wish to engage in?  Picture yourself doing that.  Feel your emotions as if you are already doing the kind of work you love.  Smile, be happy.  Let the positive feelings and emotions surround you.  Hold them for as long as you can.

Go on.  Leap forward.  Don’t worry.  This is a guided adventure trip.  You may experience bumps and knocks, but nothing serious or life threatening.  Scream in excitement as your heart takes a dip.  Feel the thrill when you are scaling high.  Most important of all, be merry and have fun.

Do you view life as a constant struggle?  A struggle with money, work, relationships, weight loss, addictions…  Life need not be a struggle.  Life can be a dance if you choose so.  Stop fighting.  Let go.  Follow the music.  Dance to the rhythm.

The more you think that you can hardly make ends meet, the more you will find yourself in the situation, without doubt.  Don’t resist.  When you think that money is lacking, money hears you and says “Ok, your wish is my command.  Since I am not welcomed, I will make myself scarce.”  Be in partnership.  Make money your partner.  Think of money as your friend.  Hold loving thoughts about money.  Imagine you are happily surrounded with these loving friends.  Ask how this can be done.  Tune in.  Be quiet.  Listen hard.  The answer may not come immediately.  It’s ok.  Continue to carry the loving thoughts with you.  The answer may come to you through other means.  Perhaps a friend informing you of a job opening.  Or you happen to pass by a place and suddenly know what you can do to draw more loving friends into your life.  Or you may have chanced upon an article containing just what you need to hear.

Whatever situation you are in, if you find that it is a struggle, it’s time to stop continuing in the same direction.  It’s easier to dance than to fight.  Let go.  Feel.  Follow the music.  Dance to the rhythm.  Relax and enjoy your every move.  Don’t bother about how others are dancing.  If you miss a step, it’s ok.  No big deal.  It’s all part of the fun.  If you fall flat on the ground, well, it may hurt a little, but do be a sport.  Pick yourself up and continue the dance.  Sometimes the tempo may change.  From waltz to rock and roll.  Be flexible.  Embrace the change.  Sometimes the music may stop.  But you can carry on.  Just continue to dance to the music in your heart.

Many times, we would zip through the day or sometimes laze away the day without giving it much thought.  We simply go through the motions and before we know it, the day has come to an end.  Then, we begin the next day, repeating the cycle.

How about this?  Let’s break the cycle and consciously choose to do one nice thing today.  It can be something as simple as giving a smile to a stranger, holding the door for someone, giving a co-worker a pat on the shoulder, writing a thank-you note, inviting a new colleague for lunch, offering a listening ear, giving the right of way, guiding a tourist who has lost her way, forgiving the waiter who has spilled water over you…

Your act may not mean very much to you, but to the recipients, you can never know – it may mean a world of difference.  Your gracious act will certainly brighten their day and in some instances, may even bring comfort, help soothe pain, provide hope, motivate and inspire.  Just a simple act can sometimes trigger a chain of positive reactions, touching many others along the way.

Take your time.  Don’t rush things.  Gradually you may find yourself doing two, three… nice things a day and in no time it will become a part of you as you breeze through your day.  As you focus on making things easier for those around you, you will inevitably find yourself smiling more and walking lighter.

It only takes a small step to begin.  Once you make the first move, the rest will be easier.  Why not make a difference while you can, for as long as you can?  All it takes is just to do one nice thing today.