Showing up for YOU!
According to a worldwide study conducted by Towers Watson, the single highest driver of engagement at work is whether or not workers feel their managers are genuinely interested in their wellbeing. In that study less than 40 percent of workers felt interest or appreciation. The results are reflected in many other studies which indicate that the most influential factor for engagement at work is appreciation or lack of it. In fact it has been shown to far outweigh a pay rise or a promotion. In a nutshell, if someone does not feel appreciated, they walk!
Although these studies largely centre on the workplace, I think it’s fair to say that human feelings, behaviour, attitudes and beliefs extend beyond an office. That being the case, I think it’s also fair to say that appreciation for ourselves and others in general is what determines our “life satisfaction.”
Now think about this for a moment, How much do you appreciate the people in your life? How much do you appreciate yourself?
Appreciation, by definition, is “the recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something”.
How often do you recognise your good qualities and the good qualities of the people around you?
The reality is that if I was to ask you to list ten negative things about yourself, I bet you could rattle them off as easy and quickly as you can count to ten. On the other hand, if I was to ask you to list ten good qualities, the sad truth is you might struggle to get ten. That’s not because there aren’t ten, it’s because we are conditioned by our environment and society to seek out the negative. We are brought up with the notion that criticising ourselves is normal. “Don’t get too big for our boots”, “Get your head out of the clouds” “There’s no point trying that” etc. Can you imagine saying that to a staff member or work colleague?! You’d either be called in by management for bullying or you’d be deserted.
So, it’s NOT okay to show lack of appreciation for yourself or others, no matter where you are. It’s NOT okay to criticise yourself or others.
Appreciation needs to be your new normal, not a lack of it. If you want to show up for your life and the lives of others, make it a must to recognise and enjoy good qualities - often! Write ten now and celebrate them!