Life without conditions. For me, a noble concept. I am a victim of my own conditions. Even more surprising to me, the same conditions that make me a victim also allow me to victimize others. The irony of it is that the people that we involve ourselves with, subject us to their own conditions. I cannot imagine not having my conditions; actually, yes I can. I guess what I am really saying is I am totally accepting of the idea of appreciation. This word appreciate has a few meanings. I’m going to attempt to express them all to indicate why I am susceptible to my conditions. The first meaning I will use is the “increase or rise in the value of property, goods, etc.” This meaning has to do with me wanting to make the most of my interactions. To this end, I will tolerate little that impedes this “increase or rise in the value” of my interactions. By interactions, I mean any experience that I have with a person, place or thing and that involve any of my senses. Therefore, if your outlook is negative, or you complain more than you compliment, or you put little effort in any of your actions, then I will more than likely going to limit my interactions with such a person, place or thing.
The other meaning for the work appreciate is “to be fully conscious of; be aware of; detect”, and this I find to be one of my more dominate skills. This meaning has to do with my ability to not take for granted circumstances and the potential consequences. Growing up, I had the hardest time grasping this concept. While in the moment of any particular circumstance, an individual involved with the circumstance begins to feel some ownership and entitlement. This perspective leaves us with a prejudice that fully favors our individual desires for an outcome. There is a party going on…a friend has room for two people in the car…there are three of you standing there…two of you “appreciating” the circumstances presented, dive into the car leaving the third individual bewildered and frustrated. You see, the two that dove into the car realized that only two people were going to be able take that ride. They appreciated the math of the situation. The individual left standing also appreciated the math of the situation, but also had an appreciation for the other two individual’s feelings and the driver’s car. Therefore, the person left standing is stuck trying to figure out why the two that jumped in did not concern themselves with the totality of the picture, and why the driver (a friend to all three) didn’t handle the situation with more “appreciation” for the situation. I know this is a trivial example, but I hope the meaning is conveyed. It is this meaning of “appreciation” that leads me to my final meaning and the most important to myself.
That meaning is “to be grateful or thankful for.” This meaning for me is the beauty of life’s experiences. Being “grateful or thankful” for any experience, bad or good, is what helps me continue to grow. By being “grateful or thankful” of my experiences allows me to accept them for what they are. This acceptance allows me to discover new methods of handling these experiences. It allowed me to appreciate the value of my relationships; therefore, making it easier for me to know which ones I will pursue more than others. It allowed me to appreciate what someone else may experience while dealing with similar circumstances. So, in the end, I am “grateful or thankful” for my conditions and they way they have shaped my life.
