“What is honored in a country will be cultivated there.”
~ Plato
For years, my curiosity about appreciation lived quietly inside me, tugging at me like an unfinished thought waiting to be written.
I wondered why it mattered and what it was about appreciation that lingered long after the moment had passed. Why did it feel different? And how could something so simple, yet so impactful, feel so rare?
When the opportunity came to take that message to a stage, I knew it was time to share it.
It started years back. My boss and mentor was good at it. I often felt seen and appreciated at work, and I learned to give it. When I did, I noticed it unlocked something in people. They brought more of that strength or quality into the world, they stood taller, and our connection deepened.
I also noticed that when appreciation was missing and criticism took its place, the spark dimmed, self-doubt crept in, and people shrank. I did too. It’s hard to stay confident when you feel unseen.
So, I decided to give appreciation a bigger voice.
What Is Appreciation?
The communicator in me has always believed that words shape connection. They influence how we lead, how we’re understood, and how people feel in our presence. But I noticed that the meaning of the word ‘appreciation’ isn’t well understood. It often gets tossed into a bucket with recognition and gratitude, as if they all mean the same thing. They don’t.
Recognition is about what you do.
Gratitude is about how you feel.
Only appreciation affirms who you are.
Appreciation sees your strengths, qualities, virtues, and character. It speaks to the impact you have on others.
The Paradox
This paradox keeps me curious.
Appreciation is limitless, free, and proven to strengthen engagement, belonging, and performance. Yet Gallup tells us that only one in three people strongly agree they feel valued at work. That’s a lot of untapped potential and a lot of missed sunlight.
Because appreciation that stays locked in our heads is like sunshine trapped behind a window. All the warmth is there, but no one feels it.
When I finally stepped onto that red dot at TEDxAbbotsford, it was to remind us that we already have the power to shift how people feel and how they show up simply by noticing and naming what’s good in them.
And here’s the best part: it’s not a rare mineral. We don’t run out of it. The more we give, the more there is to give.
Appreciation is a bridge that connects people to their value, their work, and to each other.
Who in your world could benefit from being seen?
🎥 Watch my TEDx talk: The Untapped Power of Genuine Appreciation.
