There are 6 characteristics essential for good mental health: appreciation, curiosity, humility, introspection, empathy, forgiveness.
The ability to
appreciate is the most important.
Thankfulness and
gratitude imply personal connection. We are typically only thankful and
grateful for that which impacts us directly.
Appreciation is a
recognition of the world beyond our own wants and needs. It is the ability to
look beneath the surface and find life's hidden treasures.
When I was young and
dumb, I would say dumb things like “Classical music is stupid.” As I got older
and less dumb, I realized how stupid it sounds to say an entire genre of music
is stupid simply because I don’t like it.
As I have gotten less young, I have developed a great
appreciation for classical music.
I appreciate the years
of dedication required to master an instrument.
I appreciate the
precision it takes for 20, 40, or 80 people to come together and produce a majestic,
unified sound.
I appreciate that even
though we don’t know the song name or the composer, there are pieces we all
recognize as part of our collective consciousness.
I still don’t understand
classical music or choose to listen to it, but I appreciate it.
Time is a zero-sum game.
The more time we spend looking for reasons to appreciate the world around us,
the less time we have to focus on how much things suck just because we don’t
understand or enjoy them.
Happy Thanksgiving. Spend
a few minutes appreciating the world around you.
Even the stuff that
sucks.
