Expressing Appreciation

Lynn Twist (2003) in her book, The Soul of Money, writes, “What you appreciate, appreciates.” When a couple appreciates each other and their marriage or committed relationship, their relationship appreciates.

Appreciation can be thought of the antidote to taking each other for granted.  You can express appreciation through recognizing and sharing the gifts you see in each other and the gifts of your relationship. Appreciation strengthens the foundation of your partnership.

Here is an exercise you can do periodically with each other. Find a time and a space to be together. Let go of everything that has been going on in your life during the day. Allow yourselves to just be with each other. Be aware of the person sitting across from you.

Take turns sharing with each other what you appreciate about each other by completing the sentences below.

• What I love about you is…

• What I appreciate about you is…

• What I enjoy about being with you is…

• What you contribute to me is…

• What I thank you for is…

Now share with each other what you appreciate about your relationship.

• What I appreciate about our relationship is…

• What I am thankful for in our relationship is…

• What I value about our relationship is…

• What I enjoy about our relationship is…

• What I love about our relationship is…

Appreciation is like a floodlight shining brightly, illuminating the magnificence of your relationship and revealing the quality, the durability, the brilliance and the essence of what you share together.  When you appreciate each other and what you have together, your shared experience of your relationship and your marriage expands in value.  What you appreciate, appreciates!

Reference

Twist, L. (2003). The soul of money: Reclaiming the wealth of our inner resources. W.W. Norton: New York, New York.

Posted in Partnership Marriage