Reflections....

[fajrdrako]

I haven't been universally happy at work over the past while, for various reasons, but in the past couple of days three really nice, unexpected things happened.

First, on Wednesday, two separate people sent me e-mail saying I was "wonderful". For entirely different, totally trivial reasons - I'd done something for each, nothing much of anything. Passed on a message in one case. But... they would have every reason to take it for granted, and they didn't, and the double expression of thanks (however lightly expressed, or theatrically exaggerated) really did a lot to make me feel appreciated.

Yesterday, I got an e-mail from one of the people who works at the theatre, a nice person whom I barely know, one of those people who manages to get along with everyone in the theatre, impossible though such a thing might be. She had read in the newsletter that I've been working there for twenty-five years now and she said:

I saw the news of your 25 years at OLT in the "newsletter". Congratulations
Madame! Wow, what a milestone.

I guess you've seen a lot of people coming and going in your 25 years. I
send you a Big Hug to congratulate you. You have my appreciation as a
subscriber and volunteer as well as my admiration for all the work you do
for the theatre.

Have a great day.

I did, after that. Funny how good a few kudos can make a person fell - whether deserved or not.

And maybe I didn't realize quite how unappreciated I was feeling.

Comments

[lmondegreen.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. This is the first job in which I've felt appreciated, and even now I'm amazed at how happy an encouraging comment makes me feel...

I hope you don't feel underappreciated among your friends, because you most certainly are not! *hug* :-)

[adamlizz.livejournal.com]

{Hug}. Honey, you *are* appreciated.

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

That's wonderful - good for you!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Awww, huge hug back at you! My friends are so wonderful. Really. And I'm looking forward to Wednesday.

It's totally irrational but having someone articulate their appreciation has really made a lot of difference in my attitude to what I do. I'm becoming very negative about my work and it's something I should do something about.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Big grin & hug back at you. I know *you* appreciate me - my firends have been wonderful - it's those folks at work I worry about. And I also know that the problem is *mine* not theirs: I'm having fairly complex self-image troubles (related to my thoughts on illness and productivity). Realizing this is hopefully a step towards overcoming it. In other words, if I appreciated myself and valued my own work, I wouldn't be so dependent on the spoken appreciation of acquaintances I encounter at work.

Or so I figure.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yeah, I felt better at work today, and I think this is why.