LET'S HAVE MORE APPRECIATION AND ACCEPTANCE

The first letter in my A to Z of how I'm going to achieve "More" in my life this year.

IT'S TIME FOR MORE APPRECIATION AND ACCEPTANCE 

In choosing my Word of the Year MORE, I mentioned a list of the A to Z of things I'd like to develop more of in my life throughout the year. I'm not planning on participating in the AtoZ Challenge this year, so instead I thought I'd work my way through my "List of More" by choosing a letter every second Saturday to write about (interspersed with my Saturday Snippets - because they're fun to do too).

LET'S START WITH MORE APPRECIATION

The first letter in the "List of More" is A for Appreciation. It's so easy to walk through life taking things for granted. This year I want to pause more often and take stock of all the blessings that come my way. My end of month coffee catch-up posts are a great way to do this - it's always lovely to look back at the nice things that have happened and to note them down.

I'm also repeating my Gratitude Jar this year. Last year I noted a few things I was grateful for each week and put them in my jar to read and remember. It was really good for me to write a few positives down each week and focus on the good stuff that has happened. It's so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and to let those moments pass by - it does us good to pause and make a conscious note of the kindnesses, the unexpected snippets of joy, and the moments of sunshine that come our way.


AND WE'LL FOLLOW IT UP WITH MORE ACCEPTANCE

Acceptance is the flipside of Expectations. The more we learn to accept what we have and to enjoy and appreciate it, the less we get caught up in the trap of unfulfilled expectations. I've always been susceptible to being disappointed when my perfectionist expectations aren't met. I've been learning (after many reminders from my husband) that it's better to accept what I have and to be happy with that, rather than having my hopes dashed because I set my mark too high.

This year I'll be aiming for a more realistic benchmark, I'll be grateful for all the times I see my family (and not keep wishing for more), I'll be satisfied with the good days at work (and ride out the craziness when it strikes), I'll remember that Facebook is the highlight reel for my friends (and not their normal day to day life), and I'll aim for contentment in my own daily life. We have so much, and life is pretty darn sweet, so acceptance of the slightly less sugary bits shouldn't be too difficult to achieve.

the biggest lesson i learnt this year is to not force anything; conversations, friendships, relationships, attention, love.. anything forced is just not worth fighting for, whatever flows flows, what crashes crashes.. it is what it is

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you remembering to be grateful and lowering your expectations? Maybe 2019 could be your year for appreciating your blessings and accepting how good your life is overall. When you stop and think about it, Midlife has so much to offer if we choose to enjoy what we've been given.


RELATED POSTS

The first letter in my A to Z of how I'm going to achieve "More" in my life this year.



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54 comments

  1. Hi, Leanne - I had a double-take when I opened this post. At first, I thought I might have slept through most of January, February and March -- or that the A - Z folks were encouraging bloggers to offer sneak previews! :) Now that I get it, I like your plan to use every second Saturday to work through your 'Lists of More.' Appreciation and Acceptance are so essential -- they make a terrific start. I find that I am better with appreciation than acceptance -- but I'm working on it! I look forward to following this series.

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    1. Hi Donna - you made me smile with your moment of panic - I've decided that I can't cope with a fourth AtoZ in one month - (unless something major changes my mind!) so this seemed like a great way to write about things that I want to achieve without having to cram it all into 30 days :)

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  2. I love these two words - appreciation and acceptance. They take us so far along the way to joyful, mindful living. Thank you for sharing - I'll look forward to Saturdays!

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    1. Thanks Janet - I'm really aiming for joyfulness and mindfulness these days - and appreciation + acceptance definitely lend themselves to that process. So glad you'll be back to read more xx

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  3. Fabulous and inspiring Leanne, you're so good at clarifying your thoughts and sharing your wisdom with us. I always set my expectations too high and end up being disappointed so I am going to try to be more realistic and enjoy what I have instead. Great start to your new series :)

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    1. I'm a shocker for expectations Deb - and it's something I've been pulling myself up on a lot in recent years. I'm learning that "it is what it is" often sums things up well and reminds me to stop wishing for unrealistic things (most of the time!)

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    2. Revisited Leanne and sharing for #mlstl

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  4. Really like this! Have realized more lately that appreciation and acceptance go hand in hand. I so appreciate my friends and their presence in my life Sometimes acceptance of their differences has given me the gift of knowing them well.

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    1. You're so right about accepting people and their differences - I find it works in the family too - we might all have the same basic values, but how we express them can be completely different. Accepting that and loving the person regardless, goes a long way to maintaining happy relationships!

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  5. Love it, Leanne! I'm trying to record gratitude/appreciation each day in my planner. It's the best thing one can do to keep things in proper perspective, I think!

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    1. I think writing stuff down is a great way of focusing our attention on all the little things that would slide by otherwise Deb. Just noting small blessings makes us see all the little positives in our life - which must lead to a happier mindset.

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  6. So inspiring, I plan on making 2019 better than last year. I plan on not being so hard on myself, great and realisitc goals I might add for anyone!

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    1. You're so right Alexis - I think sometimes we are our own worst enemies - if we can be a little kinder to ourselves and to others then we are well on our way to a great year :)

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  7. Hi Leanne! What a clever way to work your "word" in on a regular basis AND to remember some really important elements. Appreciation and Acceptance are two awesome qualities. Thanks for the reminder! ~Kathy

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    1. Hi Kathy - lovely to see you stopping by and back from your Asian adventures. I thought it would be good to set myself the challenge of actually doing something to meet my "More" aspirations this year and the AtoZ is a fun way to do it.

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  8. Hi Leanne, I'm going to love your MORE posts and a great idea is working AtoZ. I actually wasn't expecting a post so was surprised when it hit my Inbox. Appreciation and Acceptance are two positive words that we can and should include in our everyday life. Looking forward to MORE and of course your visit where we can chat much MORE! lol:)

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    1. We'll be talking each other's ears off Sue - hopefully we'll have some voice left for the Wednesday lunch chat-fest too! And yes, this is my alternative to the April AtoZ Challenge - much easier on my stress levels and a fun way to keep my blog tootling along in 2019.

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    2. Hi Leanne, I've been trying to be silent (LOL) to save my voice for our lunch and visit. I've share your post on social media and looks like another great start to #MLSTL. Have a great week xx

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  9. You're absolutely right. We could all do with appreciating everyone and everything around us more and what better time to start than at the beginning of a new year? Acceptance is a bit of a tougher one for me and that's something I need to work on x #AnythingGoes

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    1. I'm still a work in progress too Rosie - it's all about taking a moment to really be grateful for our blessings and to look at all we have (rather than what we don't have).

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  10. HI, Leanne. Stopping by from Esme's Senior Salon to enjoy your post. Finding your post is a great way to start the New Year off right! Sharing... <3 Blessings.

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    1. Hi Bette - lovely to have you here. I hope you'll visit more often and maybe even join in our Wednesday link party if it's something that appeals to you.

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  11. Hi Leanne, my biggest expectation that is usually on what I expect from people. I'm improving. After reading your post and the comments it would seem most of us struggle with expectations. It's wonderful that we can still learn and grow at our tender age 😊

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    1. Expectations have been a killer for me Suzanne - I didn't even realize I was doing it for many, many years - now I see it and try to nip it in the bud before disappointment takes it's toll - lower the expectations and lower the let down!

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  12. Hi, Leanne - Thank you for co-hosting this link up. #49 already?! Congratulations!
    I have shared this post on my Social Media.

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    1. Thanks so much Donna - lovely that you took the time to participate and share - you're a marvel xx

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  13. Hi Leanne to my mind, appreciation and Avceptance are so important to living a peaceful and happy life. This is a great post to kick off your A-Z. Looking forward to following along #MLSTL Shared on SM

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    1. Hi Jennifer - I love how positive they are and really not that hard to do once I focus on looking on the bright side rather than wallowing in any regrets - there's always a silver lining isn't there?

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  14. I love both your words Leanne, particularly appreciation. I like to thank the universe every night before I go to sleep. I try to express my gratitude for 5 things. Sometimes I fall asleep before I get to 5, but that's OK too. Thanks for the linkup. Pinning this x

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    1. You sound a bit like me doing my thank you prayer when I go to bed - I quite often fall asleep in the middle of that too!

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  15. We could all use more appreciation and acceptance, Leanne. Thank you for the important reminder. These two things pretty much sum up my focus for the last several months--and for the months to come. #MLSTL

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    1. I think if we remind ourselves of them regularly they become a natural part of our thought pattern and life view Christie - what's not to love about that?

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  16. I loved reading your thoughts on appreciation and acceptance. I think these are two things that everyone can nurture and try to increase in their lives. Excellent! Sharing for MLSTL.

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    1. Thanks so much Trisha - and for sharing my post - if the world focused on these attributes + added in a little splash of kindness, how wonderful would it be?

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  17. Amen to this. Very beautiful. I think that we should take heed of this. #MLSTL

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    1. Thanks for reading Patrick and I'm glad you enjoyed my thoughts.

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  18. Such a great post! I always find I’m happiest when I expect less.

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    1. I'm the same Amy - as soon as my expectations start to rise, so does my potential for disappointment (something I'm trying to avoid these days!)

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  19. Thanks for this lovely post...appreciate and accept are the verbs and ones we should act on!
    Shared on my FB

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    1. I'm so glad you liked it and shared my post - I do hope you'll pop back for some of the others throughout the year :)

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  20. Leanne, I'm pretty good with appreciation as I regularly practice writing gratitudes. Acceptance, however, is definitely something I could do MORE of this year! Especially self acceptance. But I also like your interpretation of acceptance of what is. Yes, I often have too high expectations! I've got a good role model - Hubby is good with "it is what it is" statements. Looking forward to the whole alphabet!

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    1. My husband's good at reminding me when I'm running on expectations and the risk of them being dashed Pat (lucky we have these men in our lives isn't it?) I'm becoming a real counter of my blessings too these days - we're so fortunate and it's good to remind ourselves of it regularly - gratitude journalling is a great way to do it.

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  21. Most of us are more blessed than we realize. I try to appreciate all of my blessings acceptance though on my part could be worked on.

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    1. You've had some major hits over the last 12 months Victoria, so I would understand a little lack of acceptance here and there! I hope your 2019 is a year for loads of blessings to come your way xx

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  22. Leanne, you have the best ideas. I love the gratitude jar idea and I love your word for 2019. and what a great idea to take each letter of the alphabet and write a "more" post. I'm still sorting out my word for 2019. I'm down to either stretch or create or appreciate.

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    1. I had a pile of words this year too Leah - yet I had trouble coming up with even one for 2018! I love all three of yours - and will be interested to see what you whittle them down to - I hope there's a blog post on it when you decide.

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  23. Oh Boy Leanne! Am I ever getting practice in appreciation and acceptance. Now in my 70s I'm finding I'm appreciating those who step up and offer help when some health issues arise. It's not easy for me to be dependent on others. And acceptance for me is peaceful. It's a joy to be still here and enjoying this wonderful life so acceptance of inevitable health issues is a trade-off. Thanks for posting this and I'll be following. Sharing on FB and Twitter for #MLSTL

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    1. Hi Mary Lou - don't you hate it when our bodies aren't as resilient as they used to be? I'm so glad you have people in your life who you can turn to when you need that extra little bit of help. I feel so sorry for those who don't have any loved ones nearby (and sincerely hope I'm not one of them in the years to come!)

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  24. So very important to accept the good part and remove excessive expectations.Found you on Bloggers Pit stop.Great post.

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    1. Thanks Amrita - and yes, excessive expectations are the biggest joy killers in our lives - I've been working on mine over the last few years to make them more manageable :)

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  25. "A" is for awesome and that's what this is, thanks and dropped by from #BloggersPitStop but really, always glad to drop by, for any reason. :)
    All the best. :)

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  26. Appreciation, and Acceptance will help us all lead happier lives. Thanks for the great reminder, Leanne. I'm going to start a gratitude jar too. Will be sharing to FB.

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  27. I love this, Leanne!
    I love that your word of the year is "more" (brilliant!)
    I love that you are doing the A-Z challenge over the course of the year instead of a single month (I might copy this example...)
    And I love the "A" words you chose to highlight... especially Acceptance.
    In this day and age of intolerance, I want to extend acceptance (and unconditional love) to others as well as myself.
    Happy New Year, online friend! I look forward to reading the rest of the alphabet throughout 2019 :)

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  28. I think the more time we spend on social media, the harder it is to accept our average life! But as you say, we are only seeing the best foot put forward! Thanks for sharing with us at The Blogger's Pit Stop!

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Thanks so much for your comment - it's where the connection begins.