Genuine appreciation 

I have been thinking about what motivates people and enthuses them to carry on further something they have strived and achieved? I felt the following two quotes aptly summarize  it:

"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." -William James

"Next to excellence is the appreciation of it." -William Makepeace Thackeray

Thus excellence shines through genuine appriciation  and perhaps without which the beatific nature of human beings to excell will perhaps  become extinct! So appriciation should be such that it really touches the heart of the person appriciated to enthuse him/her to further excellence - that's what I mean is 'genuine Appriciation'!. Therefore I decided to write what genuine appreciation means.

 The following anecdote perhaps brings clarity to what has been said above :

One of the days in this week i had sent one of those normal tweet requests to follow  a woman on tweet - Lee Patrick from Australia. She responded by thanking me for following her and had added that she would look forward to my tweets. Normally people thank for following them on the tweet, however the last sentence of Lee Patrick somehow made me feel I should send a tweet enclosing an article written by me on my blog. I did so.

Her first response to one my writing I sent her thrilled me, she sent this message saying:

"Venkatesh, this is supurb, it is invigorating, you drew me into the story (it is my story - it is the story of our purpose - our journey), it built to a crescendo and walked on through on the heights of mountain as your conclusion claimed 

"It dawns on me

that taking a step ahead, pasuing and pondering in my continuous pursuit ...my destination is 'infinity' and it is the "Journey" in itself the destination.

It is so!! It IS the journey, thats the purpose. So therefore it is the destination also.

Beautiful work - beautiful words and poetry and symmetry. 

...

Thanks you for such wonderful, inspirational words and for sharing them with us.

Lee Patrick "

This elevated me and I subsequently sent some of my other stories to her and what followed that was simply amazing.... I would do well to extract a few lines of her's than to narrate it myself.. What she wrote in response really made me feel blissful - she wrote:

"I have been pouring over your site and recognise something special is occuring. Every time I read one of your works, I know this is the basis of a teaching with my women. 

...

Your mission statement is beautiful and meaningful. I am so at one with how you think, I sometimes fell that you are expressing what I cannot put into words - you say what I am - what I believe. ......

You are teaching me much Venkatesh. This morning (and I have just returned), I walked down to the beach and sat and just meditated. Something has changed in me and you and your writing are part of that. Nothing is as it was - in fact it is infinitely more exciting and alive.

" I have just finished reading Amma's Story. 

I would very much loved to have met your mother in person, however in spirit already I believe the connection is made. 

 Perhaps God has not finished with Amma. What if Amma's wisdom was taught in cooperatives across Australia? What if Amma lives not only in her loved ones but has moved to an energy that can guide and grow women even in Australia - even who did not physically know her as you do. What if her wisdom (and your wisdom Venkatesh - as you have built on that)  became available to other women who are lost in a material world of fear and worry?

These beautiful words and their meaning touch me as a mother and as woman seeking to voice that which you have so beautifully written. The  meaning has such  significance and impact that it can be shared with others, If I may teach this D. Venkatesh, then it will help to bring hope where sadness, grief and despair currently live. Thank you so very much. May I please use this?

...you did it so beautifully, so simply and so kindly ...and I can tell you I have a tear or two happening."

Isn't what Lee Patrick wrote in response to my writings was wonderful  and genuine, which enthused me and I am on with some more writings... thanks, to Lee Patric.

I am reminded of a quote which says that :

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." -Voltaire

Further, I believe when appreciation not only elevates the one who is appreciated but also the person who appreciates... that's what is "genuine appreciation"!, as Francois De La Rochefoucaul put it very aptly that :

 

"To praise great actions with sincerity may be said to be taking part in them." -

I had struggled to write something on 'genuine appreciation' for some time as the topic was teasing at me from my iPad... and a fortuitous meeting Lee Patric on Tweeter and what she wrote simply filled in the space to explain genuine appreciation.  If anyone wants know what genuine appreciation is and what it does to the person appriciated, the above anecdote should be enough to understand it.  It goes without saying  that this article is dedicated to Lee Patric, who showed what genuine appreciation means.