Appreciation: Food for the soul

What are your thoughts about appreciation? What got us thinking about appreciation is that recently we went to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for their Appreciation Day. There we got the feeling of spring through the scent of the many beautiful spring flowers. They also had several activities including music venues, massages, a photo booth, a Paul Granlund sculpture exhibit, s’mores and lots of good food. The Arboretum definitely knows how to show appreciation.

Some of the benefits of showing appreciation are that it enriches others. When you tell someone they are appreciated, they feel special and often they will say, “You made my day.” William James, noted psychologist and philosopher, recognized the importance of appreciation when he said, “The deepest principle of human nature is a craving to be appreciated.”

Giving appreciation can also help you feel fulfilled by making others’ lives better. We know a woman who was standing in line to get pizza. The young couple in front of her had ordered pizza but their credit card was declined and they had no cash. She paid for their pizza. The couple told her that they were careful with finances but had extra medical bills and they wouldn’t get their paycheck for two days. The pizza was to be their food for those two days. They greatly appreciated her help. The woman told us that, in being able to help them, she felt so happy – like she had won the lottery. Through her kindness, the couple received food for their bodies, and the woman received food for her soul.

There are many ways to show appreciation that are free or very low cost. It doesn’t cost anything to tell someone how much you appreciate them or what they have done for you. Using their name is a good idea and tell them specifically what it is that you appreciate. Showing appreciation improves relationships and builds trust. Also, research reveals that sometimes people will work harder for recognition than for money.

By having Appreciation Day, the Arboretum demonstrates they understand the value of showing appreciation. We talked with Mary Moulton, Arboretum Membership Sales Specialist. We asked her about Appreciation Day and why it’s important. She shared, “This is our fourth winter Appreciation Day. We always had Appreciation Days in the summer and fall and we’d have thousands and thousands of people. We wanted to see what would happen if we had one in February, so this is our fourth one and we have over 1,500 people here. Why it’s important is because our members are the soul of this place, whether they’re volunteers, donors or members. They come out here and they are skiing, writing their memoirs, visiting the library [and doing various activities]. The members are everything. We have over 25,000 of them. We came up with this [winter Appreciation Day] four years ago and it’s just becoming a bigger and bigger hit each year.”

We asked how she prepares for Appreciation Day. She shared, “Everybody pitches in. My boss, Nate Kells, and the whole team, marketing, and everybody helps us out. Security is a big part of it today. Because we’ve got a lot of staff that have done it before, it feels more collaborative, like a big team effort.”

Then we asked some other people what they appreciated about the Arboretum. We met Wendy Pace who said, “The Arboretum has such an immense variety of flowers and plants to see. It’s not just the variety, I really like how they organize it in such a way that it’s easy to meander through the trails and the paths to see everything but it seems very natural and organic so you don’t feel like you’re in a man-made place. It really feels like you are out in nature.”

Gracia Hegener told us what she appreciates about the Arboretum, “I think this is a real gold mine in the Twin Cities. I come here frequently with my husband, and sometimes by myself, to walk the three mile walk and sometimes the back paths. I think the best part about it is the quiet that we have in the midst of the busyness of our lives.”

The Arboretum recognizes the importance of having Appreciation Days and people who come here are very appreciative of what the Arboretum adds to their lives. What can you do to show appreciation?
Here’s a challenge: We encourage you to identify the people that you appreciate. Then do the things that make them feel appreciated. Whether you are giving or receiving appreciation, it is certainly food for the soul.

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are Success Coaches and owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2017 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.