In Remembrance of 9-11: Be Intentional With Your Appreciation

Today we mark the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. As life continues on, I look back and think about how I can honor those who lost their lives in this tragic attack. I also want to honor those who’ve lost their lives around the world. Honoring is a very important act.

Recently, my husband and I each had a realization about one another that shows me such purpose. As new parents, we’ve been so absorbed with figuring out our day-to-day life, we rarely take the time to tell each other how much we appreciate what the other is doing. Of course we’ve been very quick to tell one another where we see gaps or when we need more from the other person. The problem? Our conversations don’t accurately reflect how we feel – which is grateful and proud – and we just don’t say anything because we assume the other person knows.

On a day like today when so many will mourn the loss of their loved ones, I think about how many missed opportunities there have been to tell those I appreciate how grateful I am.

The reality is that there is power in hearing appreciation and being recognized, and yet too often, whether personally or professionally, we don’t say those words out loud, and we don’t realize how much it costs us.

Take this day of remembrance to be intentional and tell people why you appreciate them. When I was intentional about recognizing the hard work that my husband does, it felt so awesome. I soon found ways to practice this with my colleagues and the domino effect continued. I brought my verbal gratitude to my clients.

Letting those you value know your appreciation is an awesome way to remember those who are no longer with us.

How are you intentional with your appreciation of others?