A Time for Giving Thanks (How About Appreciation or Gratitude?)

Every holiday has its highlights and the things that make it unique and special in our memories. Lots of people have mentioned that Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday. And, that even includes some people who have the awesome responsibility of making the traditional holiday meal. Some have said they like it because there are no gifts, no pressure, no financial issues associated with decorating and gift giving, and primarily, that it’s all about getting together with people you care about and giving thanks for the good things in your life. I’d have to say that I echo that sentiment in many ways, although it doesn’t diminish my enthusiasm for the other holidays.

I think that thankfulness, appreciation and gratitude all have their advantages and I’m definitely in favor of taking any opportunity to get into the feeling of any of those three states of emotion. They are all way up there on the emotional scale;  all possess a very high vibration and feel good, which is what it’s all about anyway.

I’d like to take a moment to make a minor distinction, as so many people are becoming more focused on generating a high vibe and good feelings, between the states of gratitude and appreciation. The dictionary generally defines them in this way:

Gratitude–the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful; pleasing, welcome refreshing.

Appreciation–the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value.

I’m not entirely satisfied with the dictionary definitions (I did only use one online dictionary and I’m not trying to say I’m more discerning than Noah Webster). The standard definitions give us a pretty good notion of what Gratitude and  Appreciation are all about, but I think there are more subtle differences, which have been expressed by others, which distinguish the incredible value of Appreciation, in particular.

It’s been said that Gratitude doesn’t have the same vibrational essence as Appreciation, as it often reflects a state of looking back at a struggle you’ve overcome. So your vibe in a state of Gratitude is heavy on thankfulness, but also tinged with a bit of “glad I’m here and not back there.”

Appreciation, on the other hand, has been described as “increasing the value of.” One analogy that has been made is that Appreciation as compared to Gratitude is much like Inspiration in comparison to Motivation, which are very different feelings. Taking inspired action can have a completely different and much better result than action motivated by something other than your inner guidance.

Apparently, Appreciation has the same vibrational attributes as Love. Appreciation and Love are identical in terms of their vibrational essence. They both demonstrate a complete absence of resistance or anything that feels in any way bad. To Appreciate is to be in complete vibrational alignment with Who I Have Become. It is seeing whatever I’m viewing through the eyes of Source Energy or Infinite Intelligence. It’s a state of Grace.
So, I’m not knocking Gratitude in any sense. It definitely has its place, an important place, and is a state to reach for in many situations. It just seems appropriate at this time of year, in particular, to reach even higher for that feeling of Appreciation.

It is a state of Godliness, which could be our quest in every moment. It is looking at things in your life and increasing the value of them, seeing them with a feeling of pure love. Living often in that Field of Appreciation will cause your world to transform before your very eyes, as you will be a vibrational match to pure Love and therefore virtually anything whatsoever that you might desire.

This Thanksgiving, I’m going for a major inspired effort to find everything I can to Appreciate. I’m actually going to make a list, as writing things down always involves more focus and enhances the feeling you’re hoping to create. When I do this, and maintain that state of Appreciation as often as possible, not only will I feel great and will uplift the people around me, but I will also know that anything I desire is on its way to me. And, that’s a pretty nice feeling. It’s just the way the laws work.

PS: This year I’m especially appreciating my brother, Michael, who is often my dishwashing partner on Thanksgiving. He had an accident on a surfing trip to Costa Rica and is still in a hospital there with a few injuries including a cracked rib and punctured lung. We are hoping that he can fly home on Thanksgiving.  I’m sure he would truly Appreciate being in a position to wash dishes this year, something we can all imagine; kind of makes you Appreciate everything about being where you are right now.

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I Appreciate all of you and the support you constantly provide.