The Art of Appreciation

How gratitude matures into grace.

Dear wonderful women,

A few weeks back I was reading the latest edition of Florence Okwusogu’s newsletter in which she mentions how often we are told – in the most clichéd of ways – to have an attitude of gratitude. I couldn’t help but laugh when I reached the part about how gratitude can become a set practice that we feel we need to force ourselves into to achieve a certain outcome. It made me remember the irony of that feeling so keenly.

I put aside my own gratitude practice a few years ago, or at least the part of it that was confined to paper. By that time, what had started out as a way of attuning to the abundance all around me had completely lost its appeal. Since then, I have come to realise that writing a list of words cannot evoke the same depth of emotion as integrating appreciation into our daily lives in real time. When we take something that is supposed to flow freely and squash it flat how can we expect it to retain its essence?

Appreciation is an artform: an entire way of being. It is an evolution, an expansion, an exercise in paying attention. To the untrained eye the changes we make in our lives as we begin to cultivate it might seem subtle, but upon closer inspection, they reveal themselves to be surprisingly substantial. By creating the space to notice what is ripening around us we give gratitude the opportunity to mature into grace. We start to believe that even the smallest acts can alter the course of our lives.

To me, grace means trusting in something greater than ourselves. To exist in a state of grace requires a generosity of spirit, a willingness to observe ourselves and those we walk alongside with curiosity rather than contempt. As our belief in life’s goodness grows stronger our perspective stretches and broadens. We begin to see possibility beyond what we once perceived as limitation.

Still, there will always be seasons in which we feel as though we are at the mercy of the world around us. Some shifts are so sudden and seismic that they shake us to our very core. Every so often we will receive a brutal reminder that we cannot have control over every aspect of our existence. This is as it should be. For a time, the debris might obscure our vision, blinding us to the tiny, beautiful details that would ordinarily capture our attention. Life is bound to feel bleak when the colour leaks from it. But eventually – often when we are least expecting it – there is a hint of shimmer, a glimmer of hope: a silver lining that restores a sense of meaning right when we need it most.

We can find a degree of appreciation in even the most difficult of circumstances. This doesn’t mean disregarding our pain or obsessively pursuing joy and pleasure above all else. But it does mean having the courage to embrace the complexity of the human experience with an open mind and heart.

I’d like to leave you this evening with the description for the appreciate card accompanied by Katherine’s gorgeous artwork. When I look at this card, I see a woman who doesn’t need to strive to see the beauty that surrounds her. There is a sense of ease, a subtle suggestion that she has found faith in the unfolding. I’d truly love to hear what you think of her in the comments below.

Embracing the art of appreciation each day is a simple, yet undeniably powerful way to align ourselves with what matters most. Planting ourselves firmly in the moment is an emancipation of sorts: by untangling our minds from pieces of the past and figments of the future that have kept our vision blurred, we see with new eyes the beautiful bounty that life has to offer. When you shift your attention to focus on the aspects of your life that bring you joy it becomes abundantly clear that a higher power is conspiring in your favour. It is by sowing these seeds of appreciation in the present that we flourish in the future; here is a revelation worth revelling in.

With Love,

Laura x