Appreciation
With my dear friends and cofounders, enjoying life together.
Appreciation is at the root of building close relationships, fully noticing the intrinsic value in others and celebrating achievements in ways that fostering collaboration. I have been fortunate to have many loving teachers in my life to support me in learning this lesson.
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For many years I plowed through life placing my attention on other people’s weaknesses (and my own!), preferring to "get the job done" myself. I roamed the planet as a loan wolf, and spent 11 years outside of my home country, Costa Rica, with very infrequent contact with family or friends back home. One rainy night in a tent in a campground in South Sudan, I realized that there was something in my view of the world that was robbing me of some of life’s greatest gifts around intimate and vulnerable connexions with those that had most contributed to my life. But what exactly was wrong with my approach to life?
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I decided to move home and intentionally start to spend time with my family in order to begin to observe my own attitudes and behaviors. Along the way I connected with a wonderful tribe of friends who have been my teachers of appreciation. I began to realize that I had not developed the ability to truly receive the small and large loving acts of those around me. I had been choosing to ignore all the wonderful things that are continuously contributing to my existence.
As I continue to deepen in appreciation, I cherish daily moments of leaning into noticing the value in everything that surrounds me, and really celebrate the beautiful heartfelt sense of appreciation and gratitude that emerges organically. Appreciation and gratitude have become a part of my close relationships and become the foundation of the collaborative relationships in all the teams I work with.