Just As You Are

Have you ever looked at something that appeared distasteful and drab at first? But then as you examined it further, over time you began to see it differently and realized it was beautiful, wonderful or meaningful?

• You see that barren landscape and start to appreciate its rugged beauty.
• You listen to a piece of music full of dissonant chords and discover it's full of nuance. The sound is not pleasant, exactly, but it’s rich.
• You look at that coworker who you’d written off as lazy or thoughtless, and discover that they have all sorts of wonderful traits: compassion, creativity, and charisma.  And you realize they do work hard, they just don’t express it the way you’re accustomed to seeing it.

I’m not talking about measuring differently, deciding “maybe they're not so bad” while measuring on the same scale.  This shift is about discarding the scale entirely.  An appreciative paradigm is about learning to value the thing or person, for being exactly who they are.  It's about recognizing how significant and meaningful they are, just as they are.

What if you could reach this perspective more frequently and easily?  What if you could look at the things and people around you and appreciate them more fully?

What if you could see yourself this way, more consistently?  Would you hide and pretend as you much as you do? Or would you recognize how meaningful you are, respect yourself even more, carry yourself more boldly, and show the world more of what you have to contribute?