How to Continually Feel Appreciated

Secret II: Letting Go by Elizabeth Bryan-Jacobs

Featured Art
Secret II: Letting Go
Mixed media with oil and watercolor on paper, 17.5 x 11 inches
ElizabethBryanJacobs.com

This topic is a wonderful continuation of last month’s post, “Breaking Through Personal Barriers,” as feeling unappreciated can reap amazing breakthroughs. I especially appreciate my own feelings of being unappreciated, as they feed new art – and, in this case, inspired this post.

Here’s the key: you can’t be unappreciated by others unless, on some level, you are not appreciating yourself.

Whether we haven’t given ourselves credit or haven’t been clear with expectations, at one time or another we all cast a shadow on our own worth. By sending that message out into the world, it is sure to be the one that comes back.

True and abiding appreciation begins with Self-Love. It continues with the wisdom to accept that, whatever the situation, we’ve had some hand in creating it. While this is not always easy to see, it is extremely empowering, as it means we can change it up and create the exact opposite effect. Here are a few tips to get you started with this powerful addition to your Spiritual Toolbox:

Notice: What scenarios bring up feelings of not being appreciated? Are they occasional, ongoing or specific to certain individuals or situations?
Inquire Within: Life can be crazy, and everyone has a ton of things going on; many that we can’t even imagine. Are you positive you aren’t being appreciated? What are you really seeking?
Model Appreciation: Dive into an appreciation practice in all areas of your life – even the challenging ones, as they can bring the greatest growth.
Let Go: It’s true: experiencing ongoing appreciation means letting go of people and situations that do not serve your well-being.
Appreciate Yourself – creatively. All practices are more effective when you approach them creatively, by personalizing them to you. Apply the Creative Awakenings tenets of combining creativity, mindfulness and nature to super-charge your experience by walking outside and breathing in fresh air while you deeply and consciously appreciate anything about yourself. Bask, savor and soak in your feelings, noticing how wonderful self-appreciation feels in your body. Journal your experience, sing your praises in the shower; do whatever works for you to build your practice, again and again. Let your newly awakened outer and inner appreciation inform your forward path. Be gentle with yourself during this ongoing, lifelong process. Set boundaries and make choices based on what makes you feel acknowledged, appreciated, loved, and good about you, first and foremost. Most importantly, believe in your own worth. When you send this message to the outer world, you are sure to receive it back – continually.

With deep appreciation,

About the Author: Elizabeth

Elizabeth Bryan-Jacobs is a nationally known artist, creativity facilitator and bestselling author, currently pursuing a master’s degree in art therapy. Through her own recipe of art-making, mindfulness and nature, she supports individuals in awakening their inborn creativity. Her combination of practices opens a path inward to inner wisdom and insight that helps transform challenge to change. The result is a greater sense of presence, connection and empowerment, as well as the abiding joy that is the core of the creative process. Elizabeth is also the author of bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings and Soul Models: Transformative Stories of Courage and Compassion. Elizabeth’s passion to share the benefits of creativity, mindfulness and nature inspired her to pioneer Creative Awakenings: Where Spirit Meets Science, a series of innovative, transformational seminars. She has shared Creative Awakenings for nearly two decades, privately and at exclusive venues like Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA, The Golden Door Spa in San Marcos, CA, the Ojai Valley Spa and Resort as well as with numerous corporations. To support wellness during challenging times, Elizabeth now offers Awakenings Circles. These online, mindfulness-based creativity programs and practices help guests dig deeply on their journey in connecting with what matters most. Elizabeth is a renowned sculptor and artist with works in numerous private and corporate collections, including Dell Children’s Hospital and Healthline Media. Along with her husband, artist Bobby Jacobs, she is also the co-founder of The Spread Your Wings Project, a non-profit devoted to sharing the benefits of community art-making in response to the challenges faced by our nation today. The couple builds massive pairs of angel wings in community with vulnerable populations for fundraising purposes. For more information, visit TheSpreadYourWingsProject.org.