It's All Good - Pause and Appreciate

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, “There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation than for bread.”

I’ve been doing some non-scientific research on that idea and it sure seems true to me.

Most people, even those with what we perceive to have “high self esteem” react with pleased surprise to being genuinely appreciated.

What happens when we express genuine appreciation to most people?

Try it out.

In my research I am finding people want to go out of their way to help and support me after I have expressed my appreciation to them.

Of course you already know this appreciation thing cannot be used as a trick, the keyword here is genuine.

Even before publication I know this issue is chock full of great advice about how to love and appreciate your Team. My guess is that some of the articles will focus on good, practical, tangible ways of expressing that appreciation. The range and opportunity for that is great and I use lots of them and recommend you put any into place that sound or feel good to you.

Those who know me know that I lean toward the “Inner-Game” and that is where I am focusing here.

I read my genealogy list and the print-out that explains my check with a humble sense of appreciation. Regularly I say to myself, out loud, “Thank You Moddie. Thank You Mary K. Thank You Barry. Thank You Rhonda. Thank You Kevin. Thank You Kate.” (for the sake of space and the publication deadline I’m going to stop listing now, though there are hundreds and hundreds more names and when I’m actually doing the exercise I do take the time to list them all.)

These people made a choice to join me in my business, and here’s a place to “take things personally” even if they are on my umpteenth level, if they’re showing up in either list I am being paid for their efforts, so I do take it personally.

I have heard people in this industry complain about their downline, all of us have heard the complaints, so I’m not even going to give them the energy of citing examples.

Carol McCall, (after you finish reading this piece, go to the browse function here in The Magazine and search for her under authors, good stuff) teaches “"When you provide an environment where people are truly "listened to" for who they are... where people are honored and respected, they "heal", perform and become more productive." What if we start listening to our Team Members as Leaders?

I’m with Carol on this; I have seen “magic” happen. Though there really isn’t anything magical about it.

People live up to the expectations that are held for them.

In a now renowned study done in 1968, a group of children were randomly selected but their teachers were told that these students had been tested and were on the brink of a rapid intellectual growth period. The results of that study showed these children advanced significantly more than their peers.

I’ve been asking lately what I can do to take my business to the next level.

Then it comes time to write this column, with this theme.

Eureka – I think I’ve got it!

(Don’t ya love it when things line up this way?)

Starting now when I pick up the phone and it’s one of my Team members calling I am going to pause and appreciate what there is to appreciate about that person.

I know I can always start with appreciating that they are making a contribution to my check and that they are the one calling me, from there its easy to beat the drum of what else I appreciate about them.

Ahhh, that feels good.

Of course I’ll continue with those practical, tangible things to do as well, in fact I’m eager to see what some of this month’s gurus have to advise on this topic.

Appreciation, individual, specific and lavish, is my theme for the summer.

Hey, if you try it out, let me know how it works for you.

The best thing about network marketing for me is learning life skills that have immense value. The skill of being truly present and listening without agenda, and without judgment, which gifts the other person with the all too rare opportunity to show up as how and who they really are. The skill of having fun even when— maybe especially when— working really hard. The skills of Teamwork— not just working as part of a Team— really learning how to follow and support the leader, which turns out to be the very best way to learn how to be a leader. And having this bundle of skills in my toolkit adds up to being magnetically attractive and a whole lot'a fun.

If ever there was a servant leader, it's Maran. "It's all good" is something she lives— whether in the chaotic aftermath of a South Florida hurricane or facing the frustrations of a seething subscriber who can't get into the site. "Take a deep breath", she says, and goes about her business of turning straw into gold.

I've been together with Maran for more than five years now. Tough and high times both. She is a rock. One of those highly polished, swirling blue Lapis lazuli ones with the word Creativity etched in platinum. Maran is all that good! — JMF