Appreciation vs. Gratitude

• Both have to do with an ability to accept the suchness of life and its inherent beauty. It seems Gratitude is the receiving part of that, I am grateful for what comes my way. Appreciation is the giving part of that I am sharing my gratitude with others/universe.
• Appreciation:  the creative act of “seeing” what is valuable in something or someone.  I say creative act because what is valuable exists in language, in a way of seeing, not in the thing or person itself.  You cannot point in the world of objects to something that “is” valuable, like you can point to something that is black or round or wet. So, appreciation is a creative act, and as such, makes what is appreciated as much a part of the person appreciating as it is a a part of the person or thing appreciated.
• I have been thinking of appreciation quite a bit this week and not really coming up with a clear definition of my own.  It is simply acknowledging value of a gift, an act of service, an object, an event and/or situation.
• Appreciation…when I think of the word I think of what we used to experienced in the housing market when the economy was a bit different…a home would go up in value. Appreciation is the act of valuing, honoring, esteeming. One of the best ways I have learned to appreciate others in the world is to listen and observe with clear presence. 
• Both have to do with an ability to accept the suchness of life and its inherent beauty. It seems Gratitude is the receiving part of that, I am grateful for what comes my way. Appreciation is the giving part of that I am sharing my gratitude with others/universe.
• Appreciation is a form of thankful recognition; it’s the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value. It is also the recognition of aesthetic quality. All this happens in the present. Gratitude on the other hand is given for something that has already happened.
• On the surface appreciation and gratitude in many ways seem interchangeable. Both refer to a warm feeling arising in the present moment that is a response to some kindness or goodness. And yet looking closer we may be able to discern how their use differs. Appreciation can mean thankfulness but it can also express an element of value or enjoyment in connection with an experience. We can appreciate a good meal, fine wine, beautiful music for the joy they bring to life in their happening. However, we reserve gratitude for something more elemental. A hungry person would be grateful for any food offered. If not hungry I may not be grateful for food even though I can still appreciate a fine meal. So in a real sense gratitude speaks more closely to a life giving experience while appreciation may instead express a certain joy brought into living. In many ways we substitute the over used word love in connection with both appreciation and gratitude. I may say that I love (appreciate) a good book or that I felt love (gratitude) for what another person has done for me. Maybe, like our breath, the two words represent different phases that express the flow of one whole. Gratitude may be akin to inspiration, as we are thankful for what we have received in our need. Appreciation may be more like expiration, with a sense of abundance from life welling up into an overflow that we sweetly release.