The Under Estimated Power of Appreciation
If you read last week's email, you might recall that I asked for the advice of my 85 year old self to reduce feelings of worry and anxiety. One of the responses encouraged me to focus on what matters most.
I wrote "...in the end, the one who wins is the one who is pure in heart and able to see beauty everywhere. This lights them up amidst the darkness."
Yet thinking about this further, there's more to it than just seeing beauty. The real magic comes from the act of appreciating it.
Years ago I was at a training focused on increasing the level of connection with others. One of the exercises involved focusing on all the ways you could appreciate the person you were talking to. We practiced on fellow students, staff at the hotel, strangers we met on the street.
After awhile it became apparent that appreciation can be used as a powerful tool for lifting the spirit of others and connecting more deeply.
What I didn't acknowledge fully until years later is the impact it has on the person feeling appreciation as well. This is true whether you are appreciating people or any number of things.
Psychologists Nancy Fagley and Robert Adler's work focused on defining appreciativeness as a trait (something that can be learned or strengthened). Their studies concluded that people who habitually notice meaning or beauty (in people, things, or moments) tend to report better well-being.
I feel this as a truth in my bones and I use it regularly as a tool for my own well being. I've been doing it for years now, so over time it has become second nature to me. Without a doubt, I know that it has increased my own level of happiness and even been a balm in some of the more challenging times in my life.
This is the reason for the "beauty I noticed prompt" in my seasonal wellness journals. It's almost like a complementary gratitude practice. One person even told me that this daily prompt in her journal got her through some of her darkest days.
Others have shared that at first they found the prompt repetitive, but over time they began to notice how their view on life and their level of happiness began to shift as a result of the daily practice.
And that’s really the heart of it, isn’t it? The more we train ourselves to notice what’s good and meaningful, the more we feel anchored… even when life gets busy, loud, or uncertain. Appreciation doesn’t magically erase our challenges, but it does soften the edges and remind us what we’re living for.
As we move toward a new year, this is something I’ve been thinking about a lot—how small, intentional shifts like this can transform the way we move through our days. It’s one of the reasons I created Jumpstart Your January Re-Set. The six week course is designed to help you build more of these grounding, life-giving practices into your everyday rhythm, so you begin the year with clarity, steadiness, and a renewed sense of purpose.
If you’ve been craving a fresh start, a gentler pace, or simply a little guidance in shaping your next chapter, this might be a beautiful place to begin. I’d love to support you in creating a January—and a year—that feels deeply aligned with what matters most. Week 1 of the course begins December 1. More information can be found at the link below.
In the meantime, I hope you'll practice your appreciation skills throughout this week and during the holiday weekend. May it bring you a little extra warmth and happiness in the process, 💕 Julie
My attention is a powerful tool—I choose to place it
on what lifts me up.
What We Loved This Week
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