716 thoughts on “Life and Its Gifts – Appreciation”

1. Nicole I absolutely love reading your blogs, the simplicity and practicality of it all. Who would have once agreed that life presenting ‘little packages’, are a means of healing? In hindsight I would have observed them to be similar to you, an ‘inconvenience’ too.

   Since meeting Serge Benhayon, Universal Medicine and the practitioners, life is so much more different. It’s full of abundance and not in the way people think abundance is about. The having the house, big cars, money etc isn’t the thing that fulfils me anymore, it’s more worldly than that and constantly evolving.

   I love life more than ever, ‘little packages’ or not, see it from a different perspective…

2. True appreciation comes with so much that the magnificence of this word will be one day a book about life and how to live in appreciation of the blessings from heaven and the stars that we all live under.

   1. Greg we are continually told that life needs to be ‘good’. Whilst ‘bad’ isn’t received well. Yet they are indifferent in that they leave you with an emotional state.

      When magnificence is offered, its unfathomable and universal. It quenches that thirst of unsettlement.

      1. Absoulutely Shushila, lighting the fire within ignites a True way of living.

3. Nicole this statement is a great reminder what life offers us constantly, ‘some of the packages that I have been presented with have allowed me to feel that there is an area in my life that may need more attention and a change in the way I am – within myself, my life, and with the people around me’. And this is exactly what is occurring for me now. These packages aren’t always obvious but once it becomes part of our awareness, they become more and more refined.

   It was good to read this blog, as another area in my life needs to be observed and to just be steady with myself instead of going into reaction. To bring more understanding and love to the situation and be responsible for my part in the matter too.

   You are very correct, ‘there is more to life and what happens around you’.

4. “Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?” I had this realisation today that really anything that comes our way is an opportunity, when faced with anything we can always choose to go deeper into love.
   Thats truly the answer for everything.

   1. Spot on, it is an opportunity to truly go deeper into love, and from this more understanding and appreciation develops and then more is offered. It is that simple. We just need to get out of the way, with our opinions of, should have been, could have been ideals and beliefs.

5. So often it is easier for us to accept criticism or correction (as this is what we are used to) rather than accept compliments or confirmation of something beautiful that we hold. This can come from a lack of self worth and also a fear of standing out and others being jealous. Yet each of us bring something for ourselves and others to celebrate and also our reflection is needed to support another to feel inspired.

6. Sometimes it takes another person to notice a change in us before we stop to appreciate ourselves deeper. What we live on a day to day basis and then grow our standards is a gradual process and needs to be so – but to take stock and look back is a very confirming process to appreciate the steps one has made to live the current standard.

7. Life is full of opportunities – when we see it in this light then it is a completely different to seeing things as events that are either here to bring us down or to lift us up. Opportunities are simply presented for us to learn and grow and hence are always a win win situation.

8. Is there more to life than what I have already allowed myself to feel? Very good question, one worth exploring.

   1. Absoulutely Leigh and when we learn to feel and read what is happening with the energies that can play with us we have learnt how to explore life with our Souls.

9. We are constantly presented with situations or opportunities to help us learn and grow, ‘ I now see these opportunities as blessings that help me see what needs to be looked at in my life, or simply what needs to be accepted and appreciated.’

10. I am coming to understand that we are living in a school where we are constantly being reflected what we need to learn this time around the sun. We have allowed ourselves to be so misled by ‘education’ that we have completely missed the point of what we are meant to be doing here.

11. Thank you Nicole, a situation will always arise where we will be getting a deeper understanding of our own divinity, or inner-connection, will reign a blessing upon us and thus we can start to appreciate with deep-humble-ness the True Love we all are.

12. Where does that ‘not good enough’ that doesn’t quite allow us to appreciate ourselves comes from? Interesting to observe what we are we measuring ourselves up against.

13. Today I have been feeling that I’m not truly living the advances I have made, I am in a familiar older version of me but I’m actually ahead of this! It’s a beautiful realisation and there is much for me to appreciate, observe and catch up on in myself, and then allow myself to live and consolidate the more expanded version of me.

14. Last night before going to bed I was given a gift by the hierarchy; it was in the form of an email very lovingly given. So very much appreciated because I know I have at last allowed myself to reconnect back to what I have always known is the truth and in the allowing I am now back in conversation with all that I have always held dear to me. I’m back in the fold of my true family.

15. If we are willing to challenge the reality we think we live in then the truth will be shown to us and then the packages that we are presented with can be unpacked with love and care and in the unpacking our awareness grows and we can see through the veil of illusion we are living in.

16. I took part in an amazing exercise this weekend on the power of appreciation and how it has such an uplifting effect. The opposite is also true, when we gossip or denigrate someone – it is all about the energy.

    1. Well said Sue – we can build ourselves and others or we can undermine ourselves and others.

17. “It was a great confirmation for me to stop and appreciate how far I have come in my life since introducing different choices and making a lot of changes in my life and the way I live it. ” This is such a great exercise to carry out regularly, as appreciation can do away with self-doubt – a particular bugbear of mine.

18. Reading this makes me realise that we don’t need to get caught up in situations, that instead we can see every situation as a learning and an oppurtunity to evolve. If we live like this it can bring a lightness and joy to life.

19. When we appreciate ourselves the body responds so it makes sense that people will feel that also.

    1. Appreciation and what it brings is frequently not appreciated enough. There is much we can appreciate, ‘It was a great confirmation for me to stop and appreciate how far I have come in my life since introducing different choices and making a lot of changes in my life and the way I live it.’

20. We are taught from a young age that there is a right or wrong or good or bad, but I don’t actually remember being taught about appreciation? Looking back it seems we were taught how to criticize and judge ourselves and others but not how to appreciate so no wonder it is something that we find difficult to do.

    1. Spot on Mary, ‘it seems we were taught how to criticize and judge ourselves and others but not how to appreciate so no wonder it is something that we find difficult to do.’

21. I had some photos done recently and then I recently spotted a photo of me from about 4 years ago and their was a distinct difference in the photos, I look more beautiful now that I ever have and yet I am older. But its not about how I look on the outside, even though that’s what we see. Its about the way I am with me and how this is deepening, which can help but but be seen on the outside. I felt and feel very appreciative of the choices I have made over the last 4 years.

22. The importance of self-appreciation is definitely not something that we are brought up to know, and in fact most of the time we are raised to put others needs before our own, and perhaps begin to believe that we aren’t worth looking after, let alone appreciating. How amazing it would be to raise our children to deeply appreciate themselves, as from appreciating themselves they will naturally appreciate others; definitely a ‘win-win’ situation.

23. Very true Nicole. We have to brush much of what happens to and around us aside in order not to see the obvious that is often even in our face.

24. Nicole, I was presented with a gift very recently; I was listening to Serge Benhayon and he presented what for me was a pearl into his presentation. I was very clear as a child and this was not appreciated so I shut my multidimensionality down – this was my absolute knowing that I came from the universe. After attending a Walking Therapy workshop I reconnected back to my multidimensionality and it was as though a switch had been flicked – suddenly I knew who I truly am and I have my Mojo back again.
    Serge Benhayon presented that as children many of us close this part down; it made complete sense to me and I said to myself that was rather silly, but we do silly things when we are young to fit into the world so as to not not rock a society that doesn’t want to know where we come from

25. The more we appreciate, the more we are given, for what we are gifted with is never for the one and always for the many.

26. There is actually so much to appreciate in ourselves once we start opening to feeling who we are and our inner qualities. It’s amazing how much more comes up to be felt and appreciated – it’s like an endless well of beauty within ourselves and each quality can also expand and deepen, so even with qualities we know about ourselves our appreciation of them is never static.

    1. So true Melinda. The door to self-appreciation may be a little hard to open to begin with, the hinges a little rusty from under-use, but once opened it is absolutely amazing how much there is to appreciate about ourselves. As you say, “an endless well of beauty”

    2. I love the visual of the rusty door, appreciation can be a bit like an underused muscle that needs to be worked on and built up. I’ve also noticed that now my door hinges are well oiled I sometimes have periods where I feel completely blocked in my ability to appreciate myself, and though self appreciation is a deeply nurturing activity I feels it may be because others aren’t so comfortable when I live the fullness of myself and express how amazing I am. Something to work on!

27. What I find very beautiful are the gifts that can come through other people’s expressions: it could be something I’d felt but not been quite fully aware of or able to articulate clearly. It’s not even about paying someone a compliment, but something that when voiced, every part of you knows that it is true. What is offered and reflected in that expression is space: the potential go deeper in your relationship with yourself, and the other.

28. Just being alive is a gift in that it gives us the opportunity to heal so much.

29. When I can stop and appreciate what I have done and reflect on what messages and gifts I have been given, It helps me complete my day. I do not have to fill it up with food and entertainment.

30. Yesterday I was speaking to a friend and we were sharing the appreciation we had for ourselves and for each other, and by the end of the call, you could really feel the joy and lightness.

    1. True appreciation shared in a loving way is such an amazing way to expand on the already celebrated qualities. Claiming this in ourselves is equally important so that we can then live it as our new standard.

31. When I appreciate myself or others, I have a deeper understanding and focus on the love and connection more that looking at the areas that may need to change, for when we truly appreciate we see the beauty and magic that is on offer.

32. So many say life is against them, but this is never true. Life is simply offering opportunities for you to learn more about your choices and what you are choosing in line with love and what you are choosing that is not.

    1. If life seems against them, were they against life first?

33. I am starting to appreciate all the signs and messages that I am given which shows me just how much the hierarchy are communicating to me. Sometimes I don’t get the understanding straight away, I get the message don’t read it then something happens and when I look back I realise that is what the message was conveying to me. The more I am willing to let go of the control of life the more I am shown.

34. We can be so quick to judge a situation as bad, wrong or not working out when in fact we are being offered a gift- a new way of being with, relating to, or doing something.

35. I had such a package today, I drove miles to see a small company out in the sticks, and met a person who was such a lovely down to earth young man. His company supports a team of aircraft that helps to put out bush fires and he was telling me how communities come together when such a disaster occurs everyone rallies round to support each other and the crews,it is such a shame that this comradery isn’t a continued after the fires are put out. While I was there talking to him I could feel that there was far more happening than just me being there in my capacity to represent the company I work for. I felt I the quality of the atmosphere everything seemed bigger. Looking back on the day it was very magical.

36. Appreciation of ourselves is a huge topic, we tend to assume we couldn’t possibly be enough the way we are and each day the point we should be at (the picture we hold of how we should be) shifts. We tend to think we need to wait for the finished product, so to speak, instead of realising that who we are is already more than enough (and in fact quite exquisite), and each step we make back to love and the fullness of ourselves is beautiful – so appreciation of ourselves can be enjoyed at any moment.

    1. Very beautiful Melinda, an awesome reminder for me to appreciate every moment and not wait for the finish line but to enjoy the process of whatever it is I am doing and where I am at and embracing in full that we are already exquisite, divine and wise.

37. When gifts are lived as inconveniences, we learn to hate tension without appreciating that this may be a self made set up.

38. If acceptance is the gateway to evolution, appreciation is the acceleration of it. Learning to deeply adore that which we have put in place and also the support that surrounds us, truly grows us in quite unexpected ways.

    1. It is indeed Liane, gracefully delivered with power and authority, and I agree appreciation is key to accelerating our evolution and experience of joy.

39. Beautiful, yes Nicole, those moments of wake up. Today I had one; a lady behind the counter of a tea shop served me, I was worrying in my head about something, she smiled and she was so glad to see me, I stopped and directly felt the unnecessarily of being in my head, I rather be with that smile in the moment!

    1. Thank you Danna, I enjoyed your comment. I recently was walking at the beach when I felt down and not myself, I saw a group of women and men coming towards me from the opposite direction, I looked their way and one of the women was smiling at me with such love and joy and welcoming, like she knew me, and she waved, my heart completely re-opened and I felt the wonder and awe of love shared so unconditionally. It was a beautiful moment.

40. It all makes sense Doug and as you share, ‘..everything has a purpose.’ when we understand this, it can be life changing.

41. A beautiful reminder for us to appreciate life and our everyday situations. Each moment is an opportunity for us to learn, grow and appreciate all that is offered to us.

42. I was watching a webcast recently and I saw on camera one of the elder students of The way of The Livingness and she looked stunning and seems to be getting younger every time I see her. I also know that she has a serious medical condition but instead of looking haggard, Grey and drawn she is full of vitality and is blooming. There is definitely something to be said for the teachings of the Ageless Wisdom.

43. This article hit a nerve this morning as I read it as I am not very good at appreciating who I am or what I do. It’s as though there is an internal voice that keeps telling me there’s more so that I never actually stop to feel where I am. And I’m starting to feel if there is a lack of self appreciation then it’s like putting up a road block and saying this is as far as I’m willing to go. Someone said recently that our spirit will let us think we are returning to who we are but in reality they are still in charge.

    1. Yes Mary, I know that one too, just keep on going as there is always more instead of appreciating and confirming how far I have come and then having the foundation to go on, without effort or wanting an outcome , to the next round of evolution.

44. “Never was I comfortable accepting or appreciating what was said to me, instead choosing to brush them off thinking I was not good enough to accept compliments of any sort. ” I used to do this too – but feel there’s a sort of inverted arrogance – and also a diminution of what the other person is offering by way of the compliment. All it needs is a simple thankyou. Does it sometimes seem that other people appreciate us more than we do ourselves? In my family self – appreciation was considered to be an act of pomposity and self-aggrandisement. But how can we truly appreciate another if we don’t appreciate ourselves first?

    1. Because appreciation is such a powerful part of evolution it has a lot of negativity attached to it and has been quite bastardised. Appreciation is so simple really, and how much I appreciate who I am and others is a lovely reflection for others to have. The attitude that it is pompous does not come from love because appreciation is very loving to offer to others and to receive.

45. “Never was I comfortable accepting or appreciating what was said to me, instead choosing to brush them off thinking I was not good enough to accept compliments of any sort.” How many of us do or have done this? Accepting and appreciating all of who we are (not what we do) is so important – and makes a difference to how we feel about ourselves too.

46. “I realised that it was not just for another to see and feel, but for me also.” It is something to truly take note of here Nicole. I had experienced today how I was working with people not so confident in what was going on. It was frustrating that I could do what I wanted to do, and I was being engaged to assist. It was simple for me to provide what I knew. I had this all day. What I realised was how much I can step up and start to lead in my service. It was lovely to feel the truth of what was being presented.

47. This is a great article because it raises questions about appreciation for what has been given in true love. For example, I have an amazing life and I struggle to appreciate it all in full because I still do not fully believe that I deserve it, and yet it has been given with love. So perhaps it is not to question whether I deserve the grandness of all that is on offer, but rather to love the awesomeness of life itself and how things seem to find their way even out of the most difficult of times.

    1. Maybe we need to change our viewpoint so it is not about whether we deserve the grandness, but more that we are the grandness and life is delivering us constant opportunities to return to our true selves.

48. Seeing all life as an opportunity in the sense of being an opportunity to learn more about ourselves, our expression and awareness for the benefit of all is truly enriching.

49. Often the situation we are the most displeased with comes to be seen as a great gift, in ‘hindsight’ – but why rely on living backwards this way when we can appreciate now?

    1. Great point Joseph and when we constantly apply the science of appreciation we are living the future and not the past.

50. Even when ‘the little packages’ are not very pleasant I have found it very rewarding and enhancing to appreciate them for the lessons they bring.

51. Hi Nicole, thank you for this blog, I have only just come to this understanding that we are presented with packages of life and then it is how we deal with what has been presented that makes a difference to our continues evolution or not. I had forgotten this is how it works, so now I have a far more enquiring understanding and suddenly life has become interesting again. It feels a bit like some games my daughter used to play on her ‘Gameboy’ years ago that when you have been successful in completing one task you go to the next level. I have never been into those sorts of games but willing to have a go this time round.

52. Thank you Nicole, it is so true: acceptance and appreciation is what truly marks our steps made and to go forward.
    The question well presented and asked:
    Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?
    This is a great question what I can feel asks us to dig deeper and see beyond what we thought is possible.

53. It’s common to make a big kerfuffle about ‘a sign’or a specific day. But how blind are we when we miss the fact that we are offered gifts every moment of every day? There’s not enough wrapping paper in this world to account for that.

54. I had to laugh reading this Doug, because in the dumbing down existence we think we are intelligent.

55. If we allow ourselves to stop and see the absolute gems we are offered in life to really look at either what we are still holding on to or what we have actually let go of we would be in constant appreciation. A situation that happened recently in my family left me feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, and not knowing what to do… eventually though I saw I chose to feel this way because of the ties and expectations I was still holding on to and that what rocked me, not the actual situation. It was a beautiful opportunity to let go of so much from my childhood and feel the simplicity in what was needed now.

56. Developing an openness with appreciation is what confirms the movements of love we are saying ‘yes’ to, aligning to, allowing us to continue deepening this relationship so that we live our love with greater authority.

57. The science of appreciation and understanding how to apply it has been the greatest gift that was presented to me and now the opportunity I can give to myself in every moment. We are not brought up to understand the bigger meaning or truth that each moment presents. It is taught you are right or wrong or good or bad, but not to actually appreciate the confirmation or what more depth can we go to.

    1. Very true Rik. What a difference it would be if we were all supported as children to understand the truth that we innately know rather than right and wrong. For who decides what is right or wrong anyway?

58. The Before and Afters are particularly beautiful as we do get the opportunity to feel how much we have changed because if what we have said yes to. There is also appreciating what we have been given, which is no different that anyone else.

59. “However, recently someone shared with me how life presents little packages, and these packages are presented to show you, to reflect to you a part of you or your life.” It is beautiful to be able to respond to this packages without reaction and take them on board with open arms so we can grow and expand.

60. Thank you Nicole, I agree about the packages, something challenging can happen in life and we can react, or we can feel our way through and bring forth something from within ourselves we may not have otherwise. We can grow and expand. I hadn’t really considered the “good” packages as much, so this has opened up something for me, thank you.

61. Yes it seems we often need reminding to appreciate. It’s like we are so used to not being appreciative of ourselves that we are blind to our progress.

62. I can appreciate when someone else comments about how I am or look, I can let that in whereas not so long ago I would have brushed off a compliment.

    1. The “brushing off” is so common, I still find I do this but appreciate that in those moments I’m aware of this automatic reaction. It’s a bit like apologising, or giving power to a unreachable ideal meaning a compliment can’t be accepted because we see ourselves as still not good enough.

       1. It is crazy isn’t it that we have normalised ‘brush off’ and ‘playing down’ claiming and appreciating our amazingness, being the love we are, being the reflection of God, simply being who we are. Time to change all that and bring into our lives a new and truer normal, we are great, grand even and being amazing is a given.

    2. There is a responsibility that goes with celebrating a compliment from another as it is a confirming moment for both as we are acknowledging what is offered to one another with the deepest levels of respect and decency.

       1. Yes Carola, time to change all that we bring to our lives to a new normal that is supportive of the sensitivity within us that honors it fully, more and more.

    3. Same here Vanessa, I used to find compliments awkward because I was taught from a young age to reject any compliments. I saw people around me putting themselves down as a way to be humble, and now I realise how harmful this way of interacting was.

63. The most challenging times are the most appreciative times as we often realise how we can berate ourselves over the mistakes or appreciate the understanding and lessons we have had that allow us to read situations more clearly and discern what real supports all.

64. ” I now accept myself for who I am and how far I have come. ”
    This is so wonderful for self appreciation can be one of the most tragic, of stumbling blocks in a persons life; thank you for sharing.

65. The amazing thing about life is when we are open to see what each moment has to offer, we make ourselves available to be an active participant of evolution and life starts to feel incredibly rich and magical.

66. I used to see myself as a victim when things didn’t turn out well, I now see things in a completely different way and see it as an opportunity to learn and grow – what a game changer. Great to start this conversation Nicole and invite others to feel the wisdom and truth on offer here.

    1. …which is precisely why we play victim in the first place. It is a well calculated avoidance of the advancement on offer, that we all play ball with at some point in our lives. Nominating this, releases us of the bind that otherwise halts our true evolution.

67. The timing of reading this blog has been Heaven sent Nicole, as I have been dealing with one of those unexpected incidents recently (identity theft) that I could easily use to feel a victim and ask “why me?” But your blog has been a great support at the end of a difficult day and has really helped me to continue to view it as a great opportunity to heal something within me that allowed this to happen, as I opened the door to the computer hackers in the first place. This is another example of how life is constantly providing lessons for us when we view it openly and take responsibility for our actions.

68. Only today I had a friend ask me how I was where I replied ‘okay’ and they said ‘just okay? not amazing?’ and I saw another friend later on and they commented on how well I looked, really bright and shining and I was like ‘oh really!’ and dismissed what they felt about me. It is great when we do have moments of appreciation (this is not song and dance but can be a quite acknowledgment within our body) .. it is just the acknowledgment that is needed and I feel the appreciation follows on naturally from this .. but sometimes we have to hold steady to truly feel this rather than dismiss it!

69. Everyday life is full of lessons that when we are honest even when they are uncomfortable and challenge us they are indeed gifts that ultimately support our personal growth.

70. I feel we are all so busy in the doing that we do forget to stop and appreciate what is on offer all around us. Is it possible we have forgotten the magic of God that we so easily tapped into when we were children, but somehow put to one side as we grew up.

71. I find it interesting how I appreciate the movements I have made after an event and not at the time! Could it be that I am still resisting the love for myself there and then and it is later that I am willing to accept it? What if I were to accept and appreciate the love for myself with immediacy? How would this change my life?

72. Appreciating how far we have come is super important for this acknowledges our choices in how we are living and how much we have changed and accepted.

73. It’s silly when you really think about it. Life is reflecting how naturally grand we all are and the parts of ourselves that we think our part of our expression but are actually not. So why resist being grand and amazing? It differs for everyone but for me it was (and still is at times) because in being grand and amazing I am also reflecting energetic responsibility and that is something most do not want to live.

74. The more I respond to life without ideals, beliefs or judgments, the more I’m able to observe situation and see what’s on offer.

75. Life showers us. Yet, we prefer to walk with an umbrella. To be able to receive what life presents us with, we have to be present in the body, to be willing to expand what we accept life is all about and too start accepting that getting wet feels good.

76. Thank you for the reminder to stop and take a moment to let in appreciation when someone shares an observation of me. These situations are important “packages” just like any other situation can be where we can learn and advance ourselves.

77. I am continually amazed at the endless gifts that life is continually presenting us with. Some of them might be challenging and mightn’t be appreciated at first but often these are the ones that in the long term we will appreciate the most. When we come to understand that whatever life is offering us is a wonderful gift we begin to see what is unfolding for us and around us so much more clearly.

78. It is New Years Day today which offers a great opportunity to stop, appreciate and celebrate ourselves and each other as we continue on our path of return back to soul.

79. When we choose to appreciate one thing we find there is so much more to appreciate. One of my deepest and heartfelt appreciations is my appreciation of the loving consistency of Serge Benhayon who has inspired me to reconnect to love and to a purpose to life.

80. When we discover that even the lack of self-worth and feeling unworthy to receive and let in appreciation are just versions of protection, we can shift our focus from a deficiency or absence to the underlying thing we are actually really good at, ie an activity we have perfected deliberately and that serves us very well. The deficiency then is exposed as being a smoke screen and we are asked to take responsibility expressing in full and appreciate ourselves for being who we are.

81. I love coming back to appreciation and am focusing on this becoming a daily practice – i can feel how this then evolved into a living way.

82. We tend to see the ‘bad’ things in life as things that wear us down, but actually, these are the things we grow from the most.

83. I had a really rotten morning today, I wanted to hide away from the world, eat ham and sulk. I haven’t had one of these for a very long time and before today I used to moan that I was not enough, but actually my everyday willingness to connect and engage with people is amazing because not that long ago the cave dwelling ham muncher used to be my everyday. So I sit here now saying “Wow, I am pretty awesome.” Because my lightness is out and about more consistently these days.

84. The gifts we are presented with, or the opportunities we are offered are not something that can be group into a positive or negative experience. We could be faced we something that is perceived as challenging, but because we see it for the opportunity that is presented rather than the challenge the learning is much greater as we are open to seeing more than the situation itself.

85. “Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?” in simple terms before Universal Medicine I never did, today I whenever I stop the magic of life is shown to me.

86. There is so much to appreciate and see how we learn or are presented again the same situation to learn, there is no judgement just live in these offerings.

87. I am sure there are deeper levels of appreciation waiting for me because the more I notice there is to appreciate, the deeper and more boundary-less the appreciation bucket seems to be.

    1. Something that I have begun to observe is that everything is presented for me and everyone to learn, grow and evolve. Given that, its no surprise then that we realise that there is no limit to how much we can appreciate what’s been offered…constantly.

88. I have found that if, when presented with a particular situation, we stop and take the time to observe exactly what is going on instead of going into instant reaction, we give ourselves the space to become aware of the message that is probably coming with it. There are so many times I know that I missed some very wise messages as I was in full blown reaction before I knew it. These days I absolutely appreciate those stop moments. To me they are priceless as we never know the gifts that may come from them.

89. There is so much to appreciate about ourselves and each other and when we pause for a moment to appreciate we are so hugely enriched.

90. There are so many situations daily that slip by our radar. When we live life with the grass green in every direction we can end up with no need for stop moments but a life of full of appreciation.

91. Appreciation has transformed my life – and continues to do so. Without it life is a struggle, hard, heavy, critical with tiny moments of relief. With appreciation life has space and depth where we get to feel the beauty and potential of us all.

    1. Beautiful Lucy, I too have discovered how powerful appreciation can be whether to myself or with others, it adds a richness and a quality that deepens any relationship.

92. I have come to really appreciate those “little packages” that life is continually presenting us with and these days look forward to opening them. Often the ‘gift’ is not quite what I was expecting but I have come to know the message that comes with it is always one to stop and deeply appreciate.

93. ‘There’s always something to appreciate’ is a phrase I’ve told myself when feeling flat. But what if I didn’t use it as a pick me up? Hmm..

94. Appreciating is so simple how could we not welcome our divine-connection and from the point of Truly having appreciation we evolve every time we bring the deeper understanding of how to appreciate works!

95. There is nothing like the feeling of knowing that you are enough and that you do not have to do or be anything other than you.

96. There is so so much to things if you simply consistently appreciate them and importantly how they are for you. I have found a richness to life that seems to have no ending and that in itself is something to appreciate. What do we so often leave or dismiss this part of life? From what I have seen it’s because there is so much power and support in it. Why leave it out then you may ask, it’s a choice and one we make in amongst other choices for things to stay as they are. It may not make sense when it’s said but all things are choices and I am understanding this further and further into life. True appreciation of all that you see at any point always opens the door for you to see more, it’s a blessing.

97. I was with someone recently who was experiencing a challenging situation. What I loved about how this person was was their openness to what the potential learning at hand was. It would have been easy to go into reaction and blame, but they didn’t, they just kept asking to see the deeper and underlying reasons as to what was going on and what they needed to learn. I could feel how their willingness to go deeper had its foundation in a very deep level of appreciation. It was like the more they were in appreciation of the learning that was on offer, they were able to remove the personal and see the bigger picture and also see their part in this too. Really exquisite to observe and personally very inspiring.

    1. That removing the personal is vital to understand the bigger picture. I find that hindsight offers us that bigger picture, so to be able to connect with that in the moment, is a very valuable skill.

98. There is much to feel and acknowledge in the ordinary events of everyday, packages for us to learn from. Especially those things that we easily over look or that we might find difficult to challenge. Its judging or expecting something as “good” or “bad” that stunts the exploration of the deeper meaning to events.

99. Appreciation is a deeply loving act, one that confirms who we are, the vibration of love, and offers us the opportunity to deepen our connection to love. When walk with the grace of appreciation, we say ‘yes’ to being more of who we innately and divinely are.

100. A great article that really sits you back to reflect on this,”Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?” Life has presented me with manner that I have walked right through. People are always sharing, some by word and others by action and I get focused in life and walk right past many of them. Occasionally the perceived ‘bigger’ ones I will grab and hold like a trophy but not truly appreciate what they are saying. It’s not a big deal though as the awareness I have just gained from this article has slowed me down. Acceptance and appreciation are corner stones of how to live a life where everything is brought back to quality, quality of movement. So if we wait until tomorrow to do something you have felt in the moment to do or see then you have a point in your life or in you that will just keep putting things off. Life is about living but the ‘how’, the true quality of how this looks is what wee truly need to appreciate.

101. We can often look at appreciating the great moments as gifts but underplay the deep levels of healing that are offered for us to appreciate when we choose to surrender and learn from the not so great moments we have allowed ourselves to live.

102. I have experienced many ‘Why this’ and ‘Why me’ moments in my life so much so I used to think that there was something very wrong with me. But after a while I began to see a pattern; even though the situations were often very different it became evident that there were patterns repeating themselves. It was after meeting Serge Benhayon and listening to the wisdom he was sharing that what life had been presenting me with began to make sense. Slowly the way I looked at the ‘why this/me’ moments in my life changed and I began to ask what were they showing me. It took a while but eventually I began to get the answers; answers that were very deeply appreciated and still are.

103. Last week something happened that upset me rather a lot. It was a surprise because I have not reacted to anything like that in a long while. After several days of being upset on and off I went to my car and the battery was dead. That for me was a message. I realised that allowing myself to stay upset was an indulgence and in that I had drained my batteries (car being a symbol for my body) so I dropped the indulgence and all is well again. So yes life is constantly teaching us.

     1. Spot on Nicola, I have a battery charger and can also offer a kidney boost! And when we appreciate all we are it is simple to see the “indulgences” if we stop and reflect on what is happening to us on a regular basis.

104. Sometimes those who haven´t seen us for a while can give us the best reflection of how we have changed as they recognize the difference instantly. I have experienced such feedback as quite surprising, fresh and enlightening because for me the little gradual changes happened more or less unrecognized and I may not be fully aware of the qualities and emanation I have developed but are obvious to others.

105. ‘Of course I knew I had changed, but I still had not accepted myself as I am now, or how I now allow myself to be’. This full acceptance of where we are now is so important and to appreciate how far we have come in order to create the space and the preparation for our next unfoldment.

106. I can see what you have touched on is that when we go into the ‘why me?’ we are being given the perfect package because we have not wanted to address it before but it has always been there. I have also learnt that we are never given more than we can handle, but others (perhaps I can be so bold as to say God here) know what we can handle sometimes better than we are consciously aware of.

107. Appreciating and embracing what the reflections that are on offer all of the time bring, is a great education.

108. One thing that has been presenting to me lately is how I can look at a situation as a negative and totally miss all that offers. A clever trick to avoid the evolution on offer.

109. Appreciating appreciation is key to accepting all that is on offer in life.

110. The more I am able to respond in the moment to accepting a compliment I am finding is a reflection of how present I am with myself.

111. Nicole you sharing highlights the importance of appreciation. I too share a similar story – where I have had people comment on how I look as a new mum. And most of the time I compare myself to them and retract from saying ‘I know isn’t it amazing how taking care of yourself really supports us’. So in this moment, I am not appreciating all my choices that have led to this observation.

112. Nicole this is a beautiful appreciation piece reminding us that we are continually offered evolution which are all moments to appreciate.

113. Nicole so often we don’t appreciate the beauty of ourselves, or the opportunity that difficulties present us. I feel the pictures we hold of ourselves and how we think life is or should be can really get in the way of observing and feeling what is there to be appreciated.

114. Appreciation is the key that opens the door to greater levels of awareness. It is the gateway to evolution. If we understand this then we understand all the various mechanisms we have put in place by way of not appreciating how far we have come, as a clever way to ‘apply the breaks’ (create delay) so as to have some form of human control over how fast we return to the great love that we are.

115. We often “play small” not feeling good enough! Where do we get these opinions from? Since connecting to Universal Medicine I have leant that we carry a lot of baggage that may be from previous incarnations and they are there for us to look at and heal in this lifetime. These too are gifts we do not always appreciate.

     1. I agree Roslyn, instead of seeing something such as an issue we are resolving in a negative light we can view it by the bigger context and how awesome it is to have the opportunity to finally heal and complete something. As you say it could be a very old cycle lived over and over and it’s now an opportunity to end it, and as a result live more of the love we innately are.

116. In the desire to have a great life, we often overlook that there are opportunities to be more of who we really are within every day. Taking those opportunities whether they look good or bad offers a daily evolution that can be immensely joyful.

     1. So true Heather, and we so often overlook that a greatness already exists – within us, and that we are constantly offered the opportunity to live this greatness through all we do, through which as you rightly say we can experience the absolute joy of being ‘more of who we really are within every day’.

117. I feel that sometimes when life is showing us things, we can be so caught up in what is going on that we don’t then give ourselves the space to change what is happening. Appreciation is a great way to break this cycle.

118. Appreciation for one’s self is a constant building block of our expression and one that inevitably can help us not only move forward with our own growth but that of other’s too, because without first appreciating ourselves we cannot appreciate another with that same quality.

119. ‘Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?’ For me, I can say no not all the time and know there is so much more true appreciation I can do. And this goes for me as well ‘Never was I comfortable accepting or appreciating what was said to me, instead choosing to brush them off’. What I have come to realise is the appreciation has to come from me first before I can truly accept it from another, hence my relationship and love for myself needs to deepen.

     1. And could it be possible that if we go deeper into our Love we are already having appreciation for our-self to be able to accept that we need to deepen?
        This is great Vicky, as we explore what life can bring we become more aware to so many aspects of our life and how we can simply evolve.

120. Life is about evolution. The more I am willing to accept this the more that is presented to me. Nothing is nothing and everything is everything. The more I accept this in life the more the beauty is revealed.

     1. Could it in fact be that nothing is everything if we make it so? Then everything is nothing and nothing is everything, therefore there is no such thing as nothing-ness? So even when we think we are doing nothing we are aligned to an energy that is making us move in a way that makes us think that we are doing nothing, when in fact we are truly doing something. When we are connected to our essence, our as Nicole shares, it “is through this sharing that I have been able to reconnect to who I truly am,” that we feel everything so this leaves no space for nothing!

        1. Very well said Greg.

        2. Greg that’s gold, closing all doors leaving no room for nothing to get in.

        3. And in closing the door we understand what is on the other side thus we have walked through that doorway and evolved from that, thus developing a deeper awareness, which is creating a new paradigm.

121. Thank you for reminding us of the importance of taking stock of our lives and appreciating our more loving ways of being and living, ‘It was a great confirmation for me to stop and appreciate how far I have come in my life since introducing different choices and making a lot of changes in my life and the way I live it.’

122. I have definitely had this “Why me?” and many of us say this regularly…feeling the truth that there is something to learn in every situation, feels amazing!

123. Appreciation and confirmation are both important daily rituals which I am still choosing to go deeper with.

124. I love the way appreciation, when we accept or express it, builds and grows within us providing us with an unshakeable foundation which supports us in those tricky moments we all have, so we don’t go crashing down into the depths of reaction, but are able to see what’s going on and respond instead. Appreciation gives us space from which we can observe life and not absorb it.

125. Very recently I had life present a situation to me in the form of a new relationship which ended after only a few months. That said, I could feel how much it had brought me and how much reflection I got about how I was interacting and communicating. But it is only now I am aware of the fact that it is time for me to deepen the relationship with myself as a women and to not hold back expressing my sacredness.

126. Frequently people go through life treating the situations that life brings as inconvenient and something you need to eradicate or at best survive. This requires constant bid for controlling everything and is exhausting. How empowering and freeing in contrast to have a relationship with life of appreciating situations that are presented as opportunities to expand our awareness and relationship with the whole of life. I love it.

127. I was talking to a friend the other day and realised that a few years ago I thought I had so much to contend with and I was struggling with it all, now I have much more to contend with and I am struggling less. This is a great confirmation of the fact that in my treating myself so much better than before, my life is feeling so much less of a struggle even though it is even more ‘challenging’ . Part of this is also appreciating the changes I have made, appreciating where I come from, who I truly am and all the gifts that are being presented every day. Appreciating that we are all in this together and by supporting ourselves and staying more centred and still on the inside gives us so much more strength and equilibrium to ride the storms, so to speak.

     1. A super confirmation indeed Elaine! And a lovely reminder that we are all in this together and that together we shall return to living the simplicity of our Soul.

128. One main reason that keeps me from appreciating myself is to take my qualities and skills and what I contribute to life for everyone for granted as it is with ease, just the way I am. Only when it is hard work, you put effort into something, deliver a performance it is worth to be mentioned followed by the well-earned reward. In short, appreciation needs to be earned; every time again, it never lasts. Today I understand that this is not appreciation but a fleeting moment of recognition. Appreciation actually is a ‘keeper’; it supports to embody and claim one´s true qualities, it confirms who we are and doesn´t seek recognition from outside.

     1. Great exposure Alex. When appreciation is felt and expressed in this way – as a confirmation not a recognition, it provides us with greater space to live with and in, that supports us in those less lovely moments of life.

129. I found myself nodding as I read your blog Nicole. I have had a few situations recently where others have appreciated me for something, and I have not had the same appreciation of myself.

130. The importance of confirmation cannot be underestimated. The more we confirm the fact that we are divine beings the more we are then likely to live it in full.

     1. So true Elizabeth, as a Son of God we can not but appreciate our divinity and when we get to understand that life is all about this aspect of us, the sooner we get live this understanding then it can start to be a part of our Livingness.

     2. Beautifully said Elizabeth, and the more we live it in full, the more others receive the reflection that confirms they too are a divine being.

131. Any opportunity is really a gift, only we have to recognise them ourselves as they do not come with labels on them, however they do come with love from God.

132. Do we settle for what we have and consider to be ‘it’ or are we connecting to and feeling the forever more that is available to all of us? There is no limit to where we are going, to who we are and will be hence there is no end of opportunities and reflections that offer us the next step to supersede the previous achievement or development. This is because we return to a vastness we once have reduced from. Appreciation is part of this process, building a solid foundation and activating the next X to go to.

133. Loved your question Nicole, ‘Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?’ Life is full of opportunities that reflect many things for us to look at, an opportunity to make changes or to appreciate ourselves more.

134. “Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?
     ” – sometimes it needs someone who helps us to open our eyes and see the obvious we have blinded ourselves with ignorance to not be aware of; not comfortable necessarily but very revealing and with the potential to set oneself free and expand and evolve.

135. Of course I knew I had changed, but I still had not accepted myself as I am now, or how I now allow myself to be me. I am pondering on this sentence and feeling into if I truly accept myself as I am now and do I really appreciate how much more I share myself?

136. At times it seems as though the little packages are given to us to show us the bigger picture, and that there is more to life than just our own desires of what we want, and that there is a bigger responsibility to consider.

137. Life is the teacher. As soon as we choose to be its willing student we no longer need to suffer or resist what may have been considered unpleasant, uncomfortable or fortuity, but much more we will eagerly learn from everything that comes our way and understand it as something belonging to us.

138. Appreciation – there can never be enough of it. It is like the golden key that unlocks so much for us.

139. Life is about giving and receiving yet we commonly find it easier to give but struggle to receive especially when it is the offering of heartfelt love either spoken or acted on. This is a beautiful reminder of the ‘wholeness’ of life and the continuing cycle of all things.

140. Life certainly encourages to see only so much. That life is the limited and myopic view we allow ourselves to experience as a form of security. But there is no security in life when we protect ourselves, as the greatest protection is to surrender fully to every moment–to all that you are, all that you have never even imagined you could be but already is. We and life are so much more than we think.

141. ‘Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown? This is so true Nicole. we can so easily pass over these constellated gifts, but when we acknowledge them we have the opportunity to deeply appreciate how amazing we all truly are.

142. Nicole I love what you offer here, especially as I consider a situation presented to me today and how I’d not fully appreciated fully what has been presented and now as I consider and understand more with what you share now I can feel the opportunity you mention here – so rather than get het up about not appreciating I can see this as an invitation to delve deeper and appreciate more. So thank you Nicole,

143. We hear about life’s gifts and go ‘oh yes it’s true – that is something that happens to me too’ but still we tend to only think of this occurring occasionally. We single out experiences and eulogise, but do we ever stop to feel that literally everything holds this opportunity? Just because we haven’t unwrapped and understood what life is offering us, doesn’t mean it isn’t there – just that there is further to go in us appreciating what we are truly being shown. Thank you Nicole, I certainly appreciate this and you.

     1. Like what your bringing here Joseph, really appreciating the minutiae not just the all singing dancing events.

144. Learning to confirm and appreciate ourselves is one of the key ingredients to having a joyful life because without that we miss the beauty that is occurring on a daily basis.

145. Compliments are a missed opportunity of love if we chose not to receive and feel what they offer. It’s like the saying ‘it’s full of hot air’. If we do not feel it in our bodies, we can not receive the healing on offer.

146. I am so much more able to accept a compliment these days, an appreciation for me whether it be something I have done, or how I look, I just can lap it up and confirm this is true. That is a million miles away from the dismissal I used to have towards any sort of compliment. It is a beautiful testament to the Way of The Livingness.

147. I have come to love those packages of all shapes and sizes that life is continually presenting me. These days I don’t leave them sitting out of sight and gathering dust, but I mostly open them immediately and those I may hesitate to open don’t get left for too long. What is in the packages may at times not quite be what I want to look at but it is always something that I need at that moment in time and that I have come to appreciate so very much.

148. Without appreciating ourselves no compliment can be good enough to make us feel good or have us feel our worth. It is the love for ourselves that changes everything.

149. Nicole, this is very gorgeous, ‘I now accept myself for who I am and how far I have come.’ I can feel how important it is to appreciate ourselves and the changes we have made, by not claiming and appreciating all that has changed and how we have evolved it is easy to be stuck in old ways of thinking and being.

150. Could it be that we actually learn to undo the the non-appreciation and thus free ourselves to be nothing but appreciative of what is natural to us?

     1. By un-learning our non-appreciation for our self, as you have said Alex, it is interesting to discover the real us that has been hidden within that is meant to be in-joy, every moment of every day!

151. When we hold ourselves in appreciation and acknowledge our quality in the things we do or the way we are in a situation receiving a compliment is a confirmation and celebration of what we already have accepted, thus it is not needed and can be easily received and enjoyed. Or a compliment can show us something about ourselves we have not yet considered and appreciated, thus we have the opportunity to expand and embrace more of who we are.

     1. Spot on Alex, I love what you have shared in these comments, as letting appreciation fill the gaps so we are already in the confirmation of what others appreciate then it is never a recognition only a confirmation of the moments of deep connection. And how can we not Love the appreciation from another who shares what we have not yet recognised; ‘Or a compliment can show us something about ourselves we have not yet considered and appreciated, thus we have the opportunity to expand and embrace more of who we are.’ Thank you Alex and Nicole I appreciate all you have shared!

     2. Beautifully expressed and shared Alex, ‘When we hold ourselves in appreciation and acknowledge our quality in the things we do or the way we are in a situation receiving a compliment is a confirmation and celebration of what we already have accepted.’ So true.

        1. Yes and a great point to further explore what is on offer to bring to one another.

     3. Beautifully expressed, Alex, of these two responses to receiving a compliment both of which support our evolution.

152. ‘Recently someone shared with me how life presents little packages, and these packages are presented to show you, to reflect to you a part of you or your life.’ This is an awesome reminder to not get caught up when things don’t go your way or you are presented with a challenging situation, and I agree Nicole that these packages are a gift and a beautiful opportunity for us all to evolve and grow.

153. There are so many things in a day, that constantly ask us to stop, feel and appreciate, I know I do not acknowledge that enough and dismiss half of them simply by lack of presence, because I am too busy or else where with my thoughts or simply feel not deserving enough and don’t even register those moments.

154. “A situation that you later have appreciation for!” – In hindsight we are often more open or free to see situations for what they actually presented while at the time we might have been in reaction or limited by our perspective to only see a certain aspect but not the whole picture or even blinded by ideas, expectations or else. So we can not only see the event but also how we have been as part of the event both forming our experience, memory and interpretation. We may wonder how our personal reality is reflecting what actually is occurring. But that is part of our learning and the undoing of the distortion we have created and sometimes allowing us to grasp the true gift and meaning of a situation.

155. The simple word ‘acceptance’ sounds so easy but often it is not. Not because it would need to be difficult as such but it is what we hold onto and are not willing to let go of that hinders us from accepting, especially who we are in our essence and give permission to live and express from that essence.

     1. Sometimes it is hard to accept how awesome we are because we have so much identity and pride tied up in all our so called problems and issues. The true awesomeness you refer to which comes from living and expressing from our essence requires us to simply be and does not have that ownership and identification we are so addicted to.

        1. The more I connect to feeling my body the more painful holding onto problems and issues becomes. Having issues isn’t worth it yet the addiction requires patience to melt.

156. Having known you for many years Nicole I can attest to the amazing changes and beautiful qualities you have chosen and deepened over this time. The reflection you offer others is powerful and a beautiful reminder of the love we all truly are.

157. I think the word observing is key in this – observing the packages or potential learnings that are being delivered to us through life rather than reacting emotionally to them because we find it challenging or it presses our buttons so to speak. In the true observation we can develop understanding of what is being presented for us to see and grow from.

158. Thank you Nicole for writing this, showing me and us all that there is so much more to appreciate than we often give ourselves credit for.

159. I reckon those moments come every single day, and taking a stop to reflect on the day has been a great in road to seeing these gifts. In reading this blog it feels like there is more to stop and feel, appreciate or see the space for change in what I have before me in life right now, Thank you Nicole.

     1. I agree there are moments all the time to really appreciate, but often we just let them pass by in a busy haze, rather than taking the time to just be present enough to notice all that is there to be appreciated.

160. We are extraordinary beings who are very well trained to play extraordinary small and to reject, dismiss or block out anything that could disrupt our chosen way. When we do so, we are not just choosing something relative to us. We are also saying to another one (without words possibly) that what you felt is not true so next time do not bother to connect to the natural fact that we are extraordinary.

161. “Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?” I don’t feel that I do this enough. I feel there are deeper and deeper depths for me to go to here.

     1. Yes it is fun and never ending!

162. I agree we are CONSTANTLY being offered opportunities for awareness and evolution. How they are all constellated so every single person involved receives exactly what is needed for them must be due to an unfathomable form of divine mathematics. With such grace and blessing permanently on offer there can never be a moment of boredom in life!

163. Appreciation is like magic, it is the answer to so many of our issues, conflicts and dramas. I realise when I forget to appreciate life, I lose my connection to myself, to people and to God. I start to see things with a narrow vision instead of feeling appreciation and expansion.

164. Absolutely brilliant blog Nicole. We are given pieces of a puzzle, but we continue to play dumb and see them on their own. ‘What is this strange shape somebody has given me?’ we seem to say – ‘what! I have been duped and short changed with this abstract bit of junk!.’ It is only when we are able to step back, put a couple of pieces together that we see it is all a perfect part of a much bigger picture. It is an essential thing for us to remember as we live everyday – thank you Nicole for providing this latest piece of the puzzle for us – it is something I truly appreciate.

165. Life is more, every moment in life is offering more and I know that I am not reading all these moments and humanity are not reading these moments and going deeper. The level of appreciation you write of Nicole makes me more aware of living in constant surrender and going for every opportunity that comes.

166. I recently had a situation that presented itself that was so awful to feel. I gave myself the opportunity to look back without judgment on the situation, in doing so I came to a place of appreciation of life brining me to a stop, and opening up another way to be if I so chose. We are continually offered support from the divine, it’s how we chose to perceive and surrender to it, to how much we accept the offering.

167. “For example, some of the packages that I have been presented with have allowed me to feel that there is an area in my life that may need more attention and a change in the way I am – within myself, my life, and with the people around me.”
     This is a very powerful paragraph that asks one to be humble, honest and prepared to adjust our ways. Could this be the clue to true responsibility?

168. It is so easy to look for and to judge ourselves harshly for all the things in our life that do not equal up to what society labels as ‘being successful’ whether it is family relationships, work, friends. This is a false measurement that we all fall into – a trap of judging ourselves on. What is true is that we are Son’s of God and when connected to this love there is no measurement or judgement only deep appreciation and love. Thank you Nicole, it is great to reflect on where we are at in life and the life choices we are making.

169. I agree Nicole that I need to look more on the positive side of my life and not dwell on what I consider my failures. Are they failures or just learning? I am appreciating the things in my life I have done well and valuing who I truly am. Thanks to the teachings of the Ageless Wisdom as presented by Serge Benhayon.

170. Thank you Nicole. Learning to appreciate ourselves is such a huge evolutionary step for us all. It is definitely something that we all have to master because the more we appreciate ourselves the more we will be able to appreciate others and also appreciate what we are here to do and bring.

171. Appreciation is a major catapult to our evolution, it’s taking time to smell the roses we have so beautifully grown.

172. How much do we appreciate and love the bits of us that are great and the things we have mastered? It can be far easier to focus on the 5% negative, the stuff to work on, the things we haven’t mastered, rather than celebrate and appreciate all that we already are and bring – but what reflection does that offer to everyone else? It’s always a choice: are we going to be someone who is perpetually ‘dealing with their stuff’ or someone who admits they haven’t got it all sorted but is enjoying themselves and their life, no matter what it presents?

173. We cannot evolve without first appreciating who we are, and our ripples we send out to humanity and to the universe.

174. It’s true – we can dismiss situations or occurrences as being just random or nothing to do with us and in that ignore that there may be something on offer there in terms of a deeper understanding of ourselves, others, life and the way we are living…

175. Life is often the way you explain Nicole. It is important to stop and reassess every now and then and appreciate where we are.

176. I do know these situations when I am asked to confirm where I am and where at the same time a way forward is shown. This is a beautiful way of living as it does not keep me static but continuous evolving to bringing more of the divine love I feel I am connected to, in my everyday living.

177. Life is continually gifting us with these moments where we can appreciate and confirm where we are.When you consider there are no coincidences there is a purpose to all that presents to us…. something to truly appreciate.

178. YES – I am presented with these situations all the time. I often call them constellations where something happens or someone says something that offers a moment of evolution for everyone concerned. It is both absolutely amazing and completely normal.

179. When everything is held in ‘observation’ and not taken personally we are able to truly open to the messages that are there and then make informed choices regarding what is self loving and what is not. Through observing we can truly appreciate everything in and around us.

180. What I have been feeling that is so important is to allow for space in life to feel what is happening. If I don’t it just gets filled up with stuff, ongoing behaviours that don’t serve me, to feel appreciation or the fact that I have been viewing myself from a place that is all of who I am not, instead of appreciating all of who I am.

181. I had such a gift from life yesterday and it is so great to become aware of those gifts, learn out of it and grow into my true height and power again.

182. Why is it seemingly easier to give ourselves such a hard time instead of choosing the road of appreciation?
     Could it be that with appreciation comes responsibility to grow, reflect and make life not so much about ourselves but about the growth and evolution of others? Giving ourselves a hard time concretes the self in it’s issues and doesn’t allow for the expansion that is otherwise available.

183. I appreciate changes I have made in my life that are more self-loving and supportive in a way that I never used to do, The appreciation comes from my body and in this appreciation it then brings confirmation to my body. The whole process is quite magical, divine even as this happens without me ‘thinking’ it. But I know that I still have a long way to go with this and there is so much more to appreciate …. and confirm.

184. I love to return to this heart warming blog which is a ‘little package’ from heaven just to stop and really feel how much we are supported in every which way, and also to feel how much we receive this support or resist and reject it simply because the reflection in the package that life presents each and every one of us is too revealing, in other words too exposing.

185. I had an opportunity to appreciate how I live life now compared to how I did 9 or so years ago, watching some people drinking alcohol and their whole demeanour and personality changed… they were just not themselves and saying things that I’m sure they would not usually say when sober. I came home and had a stop moment of wow I used to live in so much disregard and loose myself in groups of people especially when drinking… and I don’t choose to do this now. At the time I was so unaware that acting like this was not loving and harmed myself and others.

186. Sometimes opportunities are very challenging, it can be easy for me to be in “poor me” instead of realising the true power being offered in the situation I am in. An inspiring and supportive read, thank you.

187. acknowledgement and confirmation of the steps we have made is crucial to confirming the truth of who we are and how far we have come on the path of return. It is all too easy to focus on the seeming failures forgetting that these are not failures but rather only lessons to be learned; and the faults forgetting that these are not part of the truth of us, only that which has come in through not living the truth of who we are. therefore confirmation and appreciation allows the unfolding communication with that living truth, and for us to hold steady in the onslaught of all that is not..

188. And these presents of life can come in many forms. Yesterday I heard in an interview on the radio, somebody sharing that he deeply appreciated the guy who snitched him on by the police when he was part of a gang, involved in robbery, mistreatment and stealing as such. He shared that at that very moment he could have killed the guy, but now, after many years and has found his way back into society he is appreciating this incident as his greatest gift in life.

     1. Awesome sharing Nico, and as such with life, it is only much later that we can see the blessing in the little package that was specifically designed, delivered and constellated for our growth and evolution.

        1. Sure Jacqueline, sometimes it is difficult to see the bigger picture at play, most of the time because we choose not to see it as a result of our rejection of that natural connection we have with God.

189. No matter whether we choose to believe it or not, the truth is that life doesn’t just happen by chance – we play a major role in it. It is wise to remember and appreciate that life is a gift from Heaven.

190. I love that life constantly presents us with opportunities to support us to grow, remind us to appreciate and encourage us to move forward in life changing in ways that indeed radiate out for others to see what is possible.

191. “Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?” yes I feel there has been many ocasion where this has happen, and because I have not stopped I have not been able to appreciate those situations.

192. So ingrained was my way to ‘brush off’ any compliments that it took a giant leap in my own sense of self love for me to even begin to consider that I deserved a compliment, then even a greater step to appreciate them, to today where a heartfelt compliment was delivered and what I felt was simply love.

193. I got stopped in my tracks by a woman i had met earlier this year and had not seen since then. She was wowed by me and the changes in such short space of time. It took for her gorgeous sharing for me to stop and appreciate myself. I hadn’t been appreciating myself yet with the loving hand of another I was able to really feel what she could. The same happened recently with a close friend. I was sharing something and the way he looked at me, with the love he has for me in his eyes allowed me to feel how much it was really hurting my body what I was doing. Both these examples made me realise that other people see me far differently to how I see myself. How is that when I am the one who is with me all the time? Without a deep appreciation for myself, what chance to I stand?

194. I like the ‘little packages’ analogy and it fits well. Often I will find myself in the “why me” or “not again” scenario but knowing or feeling the truth of what is happening I can see how life is an unfolding and at each point you may see a repeat of a similar behaviour is a chance to see if it is in fact happening again or is it unfolding to a deeper level. More recently I have seen things more clearly and in place of jumping on the wagon down the hill of repeat and failure I have seen the unfolding element of the behaviour or situation. This has allowed me to appreciate all that I see and all that I am aware of. It’s easy to be critical of yourself and then another but in appreciation you can grow, grow into the next ‘little package’.

195. I am finding the true confirmation of appreciation is actually defining more and more of these stop moments because without the stop, we are not feeling how truly awesome we are. Thank you Nicole.

196. Of course we are wonderful beings in all that we are, but that is not how we are used to look at ourselves in our daily lives. I have been told and taught that it is never enough and always can be done better and I have rarely been appreciated for just being the amazing man I am and from that upbringing I made myself belief that this is the way I am. But in fact that is far from the reality of who I am as I am just wonderful and well equipped for all aspects in my life and by living this I can reflect this to all the people who I meet and in that tell them they are the same as me, only with a little different and individual expression that brings that extra flavour to our lives.

197. I agree Nicole life presents us with everything we could possible need and all we have to do is to open ourselves to be able to receive. . . we have got to appreciate that in itself as the more we appreciate the more life can offer us; being open allows us to see what is on offer.

198. There is so much to appreciate in life. More and more I am truly appreciating how significant it is to appreciate. It is like opening a door to seeing the depth of how in every way we are supported to return to all we are. There is an expansion that appreciation offers and confirms and it seems endless.

199. The constant reflections and presentations life offers us can be seen in two ways either we can fight against it all and think life is happening to us or we can see them as opportunities to see more and learn and evolve from and allow an appreciation and acceptance of who we really are.The responsibility we can live with the enormous amount of opportunities we are offered is simply amazing and receiving compliments and embracing them and life is all part of this.

200. Last night I made a few choices and after each choice I could feel my body react and/or respond by highlighting a specific area in my body, it was as if it was having a conversation with me. Later reflecting on this I could see more clearly a pattern of behaviour that has been playing out and which I feel I am being given an opportunity to clear. Our bodies have to be our best friends.

201. Hello Nicole and life runs so quick for this reason, so we don’t stop and fully feel what is around us. If we were to stop, truly stop at any moment everything would be there and yet we run around trying to catch up, chase this, get this done neglecting the very thing we are chasing. It still spins my mind around knowing that the very thing we chase is already within us and all we need do is truly stop and appreciate this and then it’s all there. We have picture after picture of what the ‘all there’ is and so this is an ongoing unfolding of the pictures or images we have attempted to build our life on. Life isn’t a collection of things but more of a letting go, an unfolding of what we have put in the way of who we truly are. Do you have a picture or image of what you truly look like? Another image to discard.

     1. I agree Ray. In conversation with someone recently this subject of constant activity and repose came up. The person struggled with the idea that repose, rest or stop had any value, to them it was wasting time. Keeping busy at all costs is a way to distract us from as you say ‘from truly feeling what is all around us’.
        Instead we choose to be in a restless energy, moving from activity to activity never once connecting with self.

202. It is amazing how much we are presented with and offered to support us to grow, learn and re-develop and deepen the love within ourselves. It can be easy at times to react and go ‘why me’ but then when we see that we are far more than purely physical and the depths of love we come from is endless then the ‘why me’ becomes ‘why not me, bring it on!’ The more we then say yes to love and no to everything less the more we can embrace ourselves and others in full.

203. The expansion offered to us from appreciation can be found in any moment and experience we have anytime. It is just how we in turn see and feel these moments for what they truly offer us and that is where the real gold lies. It’s the stop moments that offer us the opportunity to enjoy being who we are naturally so.

204. I love the packages we are delivered, its then up to us to open them or just guess the contents. But the truth lies within, and when we contemplate their messages we can feel the intent and reflection more deeply and allow the glory to be felt and celebrate all the choices we have made.

205. Thank you Nicole for this letter of appreciation.

206. Learning to ‘let go of avoiding the ones I don’t wish to see’ – thank you Elizabeth. I hadn’t seen it that way, that the avoidance of seeing something about myself was something I needed to let go of, but it’s true: we hold on to our old ways thinking that they will protect us against getting hurt, but this stops us from actually feeling and dealing with the hurt. When we stop and allow ourselves to feel the truth of the situation, without needing the message to be delivered in a way that can be easily digested, we can learn, heal and move on.

207. Life is full of blessings. With each day and almost every meeting, offering treasures in conversation, reading or observation. Nothing happens by chance, everything perfectly constellated to support our expansion, or not. Being alert and aware of what is offered is the key.

208. It is interesting to question myself why I not always do not appreciate myself as much as people appreciate me? Could it be that I choose to not be aware of how amazing I am and what I bring to the world with the qualities I hold as that brings a responsibility to life that needs consistent attention?

209. Allowing ourselves to fully embrace an appreciation offered to us, is a gift from God and a confirmation of just how simply awesome we are. Thank you Nicole.

210. I get a feeling that it’s just possible that every situation, every interaction is actually an offering from heaven and it doesn’t always fit into an image of what our mind categorises as ‘good’ but when life is truly about evolution, for us to return to be and live as who we truly are, it cannot but be love-ly. And perhaps it is our ability to stop and appreciate that makes it more obviously lovely.

211. Very true Nicole. Going into the ‘why me’ is a way to avoid the amazing awareness that is there for us when we connect and observe life.

     1. When we look at the bigger picture it is even silly to say ‘why me’ as it is so obvious it is you but the only thing is that we tend to not want to take our responsibility to deepen that precious quality we have to share with all people and to hold that also for ourselves as the most precious in our lives.

212. It is so true Nicole that every situation offers us an opportunity to confirm who we are and the loving choices we make in our lives, or to learn what choices do to support us to be ourselves through which we have the choice to make the change. Either way we are offered the opportunity to deepen our connection to who we are so we can evolve and live more of who we are through our daily lives.

213. We are looked after and blessed on so many levels we are unaware of, when we do clock these moments it is great to confirm them as it adds a further blessing to the situation.

     1. Yes I agree and there is a constant communication and confirmation in the detail of life too, in nature, in the science of numbers, colours and endless reflections of every kind that bring awareness, confirm and honour that which we are in truth. I am ever appreciative of the divine magic of this.

214. I would say there are many situations that pass us by without us receiving the offering that has been presented. I can say looking back at situation that I conveniently don’t see them, don’t stop and appreciate, and don’t accept the offering. This blog was a great reminder that the offerings never stop it is us who chose no to see them.

215. compliments and appreciation have some of the qualities of The water of A mountain stream… it really is meant to flow… And if we allow it to flow through us and not put any of our old concepts or paradigms in the way that it does flow through us, benefiting both us and then everyone else as well because it flows through us… If we do not allow it to flow through us then it banks up, becomes stagnant, and then no one gets to benefit

216. Life presents all kinds of situations that are more than meets the eye, in fact life is a school of learning and all we have to do is, as you say Nicole, stop and consider what is being presented to us and what the lesson is for us at that moment .

217. Some of my absolute worst nightmares have happened this year, but even the worst thing you can imagine offers you an opportunity to grow and to flourish and master something new. No situation or calamity need ever be a wasted opportunity to evolve.

     1. I agree Meg. When we are willing to learn and grow we realise and appreciate that every situation offers this opportunity.

        1. Absolutely, every single situation has something amazing to offer us in terms of growth and learning and letting go of stuff.

     2. What a blessing to see all of life through the eyes of appreciation, this is the choice we all have, and rather than give up on life and be victim to the challenges, we can be inspired by all that is truly offered and we grow and expand with this.

        1. I absolutely agree, there is always something amazing on offer, it’s just whether we choose to see it or focus on the calamity that can often accompany it.

218. “Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?” I was one who didn’t stop as much as I know I could have, but all that has changed now as I am finally learning to appreciate the endless gifts that I am being offered daily; from the messages from nature, the acknowledgment of me by a friend, a child’s spontaneous hug, the smile from a stranger, these are all precious and priceless gifts that we simply cannot take for granted. They are all there for us to stop, to feel and to appreciate.

     1. Ingrid I love your comment, do we stop and notice and appreciate all the small things as much as the big things?

219. We can take so much for granted and play people or situations down when actually holding them up to the light and allowing ourselves to feel where they have come from brings real appreciation and connects us to something so much bigger.

220. I always love the effect appreciation makes, it’s food for the soul that grows expansion within.

221. When I ponder “what needs to be looked at in my life” I would not think that appreciation would be high on the list of things I would rank as important as I often find myself focusing on what I am not doing well with. Your blog reminds me that the way to evolve is through appreciation.

222. I find that there is almost always something deeper to appreciate in life’s happenings and if we are willing to dig deep most situations offer us a gift of some sort. Even those unpleasant events are reflecting to us something we can look at and heal if we stay open to the opportunity. Great subject to raise Nicole, thank you.

223. It definitely is super important to appreciate who we are and the choices we make. It is incredible to see how we can’t be content till we are perfect.. This will never give a good foundation to build on, while true appreciation does bring a level of love to ourselves that brings a true ground to build and develop from. Constantly growing.

224. I could feel the importance of self appreciation in our lives and how it plays an important part in our evolution. This was a great reminder to keep coming back and appreciating what has been offered.

225. There is an important link here made by Nicole about appreciation and acceptance, where previously I would have thought that acceptance comes first but when we open up to other people’s appreciation, it can lead to deeper acceptance of ourselves. I can see how this then expands into appreciating others and thus starts another cycle for someone else and builds relationships and a beautiful way.

226. Appreciation is the key isn’t it Nicole? We so easily slip into criticism and being hard on ourselves, but we so need to lighten up and appreciate our loveliness and what we bring to this world. And also appreciate what is being presented to us in these little (or sometimes big!) packages so we can continually see what is there to let go of , bring understanding to and/or appreciate.

227. It is interesting how when we hold a certain believe about ourselves, we interpret everything according to this believe and everything that does not fit the picture, we brush off, ignore or simply don’t hear.

     1. So true Judith, our perception is filtered through the beliefs and ideals we have accepted or adopted. If we take those out of the picture the reflection is crystal clear… something to truly appreciate.

228. The events of life around me confirm that there is a plan much bigger than me, and my job is to be the real me wherever I can so I can connect and play my part in the plan.

229. “Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?” For many years I use to see things as an inconvenience and the why me, I use to feel a lot of time life’s not fare, but now I completely have a different understanding and knowing that everything is a reflection and an opportunity to learn and evolve.

230. No such thing as a coincidence! Everything is a reflection to us

231. Nicole – I have recently had a baby too and get the comments about how great I look. I really enjoyed reading your blog as a way to appreciate the care I take with myself. This also brings about a key question for me. If people think I look great is this because they are comparing me to other new mums who perhaps don’t take so much care of themselves, and if this is the case then why not? Isn’t there an opportunity as a new mum to help people understand that if we start from the point of self appreciation and self care – then looking amazing after we give birth becomes normal. In appreciation – we can then be a reflection – and this is very powerful.

232. Everything about my life, myself included, was just not acceptable most of my life, and I couldn’t see it any other way. It was after being exposed to Universal Medicine that I realised how exhausting it had been to reject life like that. I didn’t go straight into appreciation, but that letting go of tension was most liberating and made me realise every piece that I couldn’t accept before actually was a vital piece, and life and the world started to make sense.

233. Nicole appreciating oneself seems to be the best fountain of youth ever – I am wondering why this is not a common knowing – imagine most of us would look so much younger and I am sure would be so much healthier as well.

234. Lately I am noticing just how little we are educated about the importance of appreciation. The way the majority for society conducts itself revels the complete lack of respect or acknowledgment we have for true appreciation.
     If we take the parenting model as an example: most of us would agree that a baby is a precious gift and thrives on love and appreciation. At what point exactly do we become less precious or deserving of that love? At what age do we deem it a right of passage to begin championing self abuse over self appreciation? Well I can’t answer that, as it seems to differ for everyone but I will say this, it should be at no point that this happens, we should value and appreciate ourselves as a apart of a living and breathing expression. Universal Medicine leads the way in education on this subject.

235. As I opened my eyes this morning I had one of those packages drop in and the emanation it offered meant a new marker for me in my life – something that I knew deeply in my body and will never be forgotten. Theses packages can be so grounding and when deeply appreciated as the gift they are enhance every aspect of life. Thank you for the reminder to appreciate ‘everything’ Nicole.

236. As I was reading this I could feel that I do truly appreciate how far I have come, which not too long ago I would have struggled to accept. That’s worth another self-hug of appreciation 🙂

237. It’s easy to get caught up in the ‘what’s next’ syndrome of always bettering or moving towards a goal. Taking stock feels really important as it strengthens the foundation on which we live from to then be able to move forward. If we are constantly wanting more, without first confirming what already is, who knows where we could end up!

238. I’m feeling the importance of expressing what we see in people more and more. The way they’ve changed, or how gorgeous their eyes are or how open and loving their body feels. When we stop and admire something in another it gives them an opportunity to stop too, whether they choose to or not is their choice.

239. Understanding that things in life happen for a deeper reason, and are there to help us grow and support us to evolve changes your whole life around. It gives life a massive purpose and there’s something new to discover everyday.

240. I had an incident yesterday. It had happened many times before throughout my life and during an Esoteric Yoga session last night I got to feel and see more of what I had been avoiding. There is more to feel but appreciating every drop of my expanded awareness and allowing my body to surrender sets a stronger foundation to feel more of the truth so that I can live more of the true woman I know I am.

241. I can relate to not fully taking stock of how far I have come, nor fully absorbing the enormity of a compliment that may be given to me, what is interesting is that we are so quick to take on criticism when it comes our way. Thanks for your blog, it is a great reminder to stop feel and take stock.

242. Life is always presenting to us things all the time, it is like you say we should stop to appreciate everything that is presented to us, but at the same time appreciate how far we have come too. I know for me appreciating is something I have only more recently started to do, I never use to appreciate myself.

243. I can identify areas where someone else brings up a negative reaction in me, and how this is more about my reaction to them than it is about what’s going on for them.. but I rarely stop and consider, let alone appreciate, when someone says something positive. These are lovely moments that confirm all that we are, and it feels expansive and joyful when we allow ourselves to feel them. Dropping the old patterns of denying, resisting and dismissing all that we are takes a bit of work when we’re so identified with not being and claiming all that we are, but just stopping and feeling is the start.

244. I love this Elizabeth. I know that when I am overwhelmed I am invariably hard on myself and seeing overwhelm as a symptom of the choice to be harsh and harden rather than something that is imposed on me from outside has been life changing. It makes absolute sense that the way out of the mess of overwhelm is through true appreciation of who we are and all we bring.

245. “…….to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?” This line is pure gold to me as it allows me to feel that appreciation can deepen out of sight and there is much that we are not seeing and feeling that is simply there waiting for us.

246. You are an inspiration Nicole. I love the point you make about accepting just how gorgeous we really are. Here I have been convinced that accepting my imperfections was the hard part! I see now that our willingness to appreciate our power is a great lesson in acceptance and appreciation.

247. Appreicating everything life offers us every single day is such an important part of life. Otherwise we constantly miss out on the jewels of life and the amazing lessons we are being gifted every single moment of the day.

248. It is not narcissistic to acknowledge your own glory. It is only narcissistic when you seek your own glory at the expense of everyone else.

249. When we stop and appreciate all those little ‘packages’ that offer the opportunity to appreciate the choices we are making or to gently nudge us back on track we can appreciate the magic of God and the loving support that is available to all.

250. Thank you Nicole. I can appreciate myself for the changes I have made too. I feel now more vital and clear and willing to take on responsibility in a way that I did not twenty years ago when I was much younger and thought I knew what I was doing.

251. It is so confirming and supportive to appreciate how far we have come. I feel with any situation, whatever we are presented with, there is always an opportunity to learn, grow and evolve. To appreciate this gift/opportunity puts everything into a whole new perspective for me.

252. Yes only yesterday someone pointed out to me that I was looking at what could be better in the way I had handled a situation rather than be appreciative of what I had offered. I feel it is supportive to look at both as long as we truly do this lovingly and here is where the difference lies for if we give up on ourselves one tiny little bit we are reducing the love and not allowing for the natural expansion that that situation is calling for.

253. Choosing to stop and be open to feeling what is truly going on in any situation, and our part in it, is truly responsible and how we genuinely evolve and grow.

254. Appreciating ourselves allows us to naturally appreciate others also.

255. Spending moments to stop and appreciate ourselves and our lives is very beautiful and very confirming thing to do. Generally speaking we don’t do this enough. Thank you Nicole for sharing yours. “Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?”

256. It is interesting the way we tend to dismiss those same things that we need to be building a solid relationship with, as the more we do this the easier it is to accept our glory and the powerful reflection we offer others 24/7 when we live full of who we are.

257. “It was a great confirmation for me to stop and appreciate how far I have come in my life since introducing different choices and making a lot of changes in my life and the way I live it.” It’s so important that we clock and don’t gloss over these moments to appreciate ourselves for that is what enables us to deepen the love for and relationship with ourselves.

     1. It builds the step which enables us to take it.

258. It was an interesting turning point for me when I realised that I used a lack of appreciation to ensure I did not evolve… that put a different spin on my seeming struggles to do so, and quite miraculously it became easier. And I now have far greater appreciation for the power of this simple gesture towards oneself and others.

259. Appreciation is a powerful part of our evolutionary process, and when we deny it to ourselves in any way, we are effectively retarding our return back to the grandness we come from…

260. I have realised how important it is to appreciate myself, because when I see others cringing when I give them a compliment….like I do, I feel sad at the thought that they are not seeing themselves the way i do. When I realise that I do the exact same thing, I know that perhaps I should lead by appreciating me first and giving others the opportunity to see that it’s totally ok and normal.

261. Nicole, I can totally relate to what you share here. I have always been so quick to brush compliments off and so awkward when I get them that I quickly change the subject or I scrunch my face up and then often say something stupid in return as a deflection. In all fairness however I’ve been working on this a lot in the last few years, and I’m getting much better at accepting these kind words from people. But it doesn’t happen without the ever so slow work in progress in my appreciation of myself first.

262. “…Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?…” This is so true, and again makes me recognise actually how much life is our greatest classroom.

263. It is important to appreciate, especially in a world that does very little to encourage you to do so. There is much evil in the world as it is, and all too often this stops us from taking the time to appreciate ourselves. Who are we to be magnificent when the world is crumbling at the edges. Too many of us are crushed by life, and so appreciation assists us to rebuild a way of seeing that not all life is such. Life is a duality of existence, and it is important that we develop the awareness to know both of its sides. To know the side of the coin known as love, one must learn to appreciate. To allow one to fully know the side of evil, one must also learn to appreciate, for that is what gives us the foundation to be willing to open our eyes in full and see all there is to see.

264. Thank you Nicole your simple and powerful message in this blog to always appreciate and accept ourselves – absolutely worth committing to, and the beautiful part is this grows and forever expands and then flows through to all our relationships as well.

265. ‘brushing off’ compliments is a common thing for people to do and it does two things. It prevents the complimenter from feeling heard and the complimentee from being appreciated. No one truly feels the loveliness that is there being felt and on offer.

266. Acknowledging and appreciating where we have come from and where we are now is such an important part of answering the call from within us to continue to explore being all we can be.

267. What you present here Nicole shows how very cared for and supported we are in every way. We are continuously presented with what we need next to expand and accept more of us.

268. I’m feeling that accepting compliments and having appreciation for ourselves and our development is a part of being vulnerable. Just as we were when we were getting on with life, getting things done and coping, we were not letting anyone help and we were not feeling what was true, allowing a compliment in is the same. We need to be vulnerable to do this. We need to feel everything to truly appreciate.

269. I feel that pretty much every situation and scenario is an opportunity for us to learn and grow. Everything happens for a reason and these opportunities when we embrace them supports us hugely, even the ones that seem challenging and not so pleasant. Taking time to appreciate what we are presented in every moment is a gift indeed.

270. A beautiful blog Nicole about life and appreciating its way of showing us the way.

271. Nicole, incredible not only of your transformation,but clocking that you needed to deeply appreciate this in you. Appreciation is one of the limbs that is attached to the trunk of our divine acceptance. It allows us to clock all the things that you are great at. It shadows the lack in us – self worth ,rejection and self loathing that may have been running our lives previously.

272. Perversely, we downplay those times when we are truly appreciated, and exaggerate the times we were criticised. They says much about the ludicrousness of human psychology.

273. What you are talking about Nicole I feel is a true surrender to what life offers us and to appreciate what comes our way, we give it a title positive or negative but in truth it is all there for us to learn and just expand of what is already there.

274. True appreciation allows us to connect to the simplicity of life. Whilst ever you do not appreciate who you are and what you have, you will always find complication.

275. I suspect there isn’t a person on earth who hasn’t had the experience of a situation where they’ve felt it’s the worst thing that could ever happen to them only in hindsight to realise that it was an absolute blessing in the opportunity it provided in the way of growth and evolution.

276. Thanks Nicole, I can relate what you share here to areas of my life at the moment. I feel it’s easy to see things as difficult or not going my way, but if I really feel and read what is going on I can see it as an opportunity for evolution.

277. Nicole I can really feel what you are sharing in, the fact that the universe is constantly providing everything we need. That through life there are so many gifts and moments that we can appreciate. But as you say and in my experience its easy to dismiss or not truly stop and feel them, we often skip past them moving onto the next thing. So today and after reading your blog post I will experiment on allowing the space to see and appreciate these moments, then will see what happens.

278. I have always been dismissive of compliments in my life, brushing them aside as not worthy. Since coming to Universal Medicine so much has changed for me, in not only accepting and appreciating compliments from others, but appreciating myself and the person I am today and how far I have come in opening up to the love within and sharing that love without.

279. And I love how life confirms back to you…. yesterday I went to work feeling very very vulnerable and felt very with myself. Not long after I was sitting beside a colleague who turned around to me and said, you are glowing, you are absolutely glowing….which took me by surprise initially, but realised it was a beautiful confirmation of the gentle and tender quality I was holding myself in.

280. Life indeed presents many packages to us, in many different shapes and forms. I have a current situation that has been going on for some 9 months in which I have had so much difficulty and actually have not been able to deal with it. Very recently, my body communicated through much pain in my leg that it was time to stop and really look and feel the learning that this package was delivering. Instantly I got to feel how I go into hardness so as not to feel. This showed me how much I self-bash, and how harming this was for my body, and that what I was being asked was to be very gentle and loving with myself and also to accept fully how much I have changed and where I am at today.

281. When we actually stop to appreciate ourselves we begin to observe that our qualities are not only expressed in what we do but form the foundations of who we are.

282. Thank you Nicole, it is beautiful to stop and consider the magic around us and how life presents packages endlessly for us to evolve.

283. ‘Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?’ Yes I have, but I am much more ‘in my body’ now a days and love the feeling of clocking, observing and allowing the expansion of life as it happens.

284. That is beautiful Kate, just because appreciation actually shows us that it – is everything. And that by appreciation the love in our hearts is able to come out and be lived.

285. How easy it is to dismiss the positive changes we make when in reality they are all there to be celebrated and how easy is it to be able to jump to the ‘yes, but …’ scenarios when others comment to the person on what they are noticing! Many of us have been raised to feel that there is something selfish or conceited about honouring ourselves and acknowledging positively and publicly the changes that have occurred over time. Yet if there are amazing things happening why hold back? Many others are inspired and learn from hearing and observing how the changes have occurred and what the impact of these have been on a person’s life. So thanks Nicole for showing others publicly that confirming the quality of life you now have is nothing to fear and is in fact something we can all enjoy with you.

286. I have started to appreciate more deeply the learning that is offered us on a daily basis, and how by our choices we either learn from them or confirm our unwillingness to accept the opportunity.

287. Thank you Nicole for sharing , acceptance and appreciation are such powerful tooLs on our evolutionary road opening us up to receive the next stages in our development.

288. Learning to truly appreciate all the small things that happen to us is the best way to tackle any deep-rooted lack of self worth as it builds a steady momentum of personal evolution. It’s too easy to brush off other people’s observations, their before and after photos and continue to live a life where we feel we’re still not quite there yet, with always more to be or do. But it’s only when we truly embody the changes we are making that we can continue to evolve- and the mechanism to do so is appreciation.

289. Nicole I agree we are offered a great deal to learn from, I have particularly noticed how the same thing is offered to me again in a different way, because I did not reach the understanding the first time around.

290. ‘Have you ever been presented with a situation and then looked back and wondered why?’ Yes, but I used to add ‘why me?’ I used to do that a lot when I was a child growing up in a challenging environment. I was feeling at times life was unfair and was looking to blame. Then later on, I realise that things happen for a reason and that there are many lessons to learn, I started to ask different questions and the need to blame dissipated. So, when we are open to life being a constant gift, we start to see things very differently and appreciation then becomes part of our life naturally.

291. I suppose there have been many times when I was so wrapped up in blaming myself for something, thinking I was being honest, that I failed to appreciate the work I have done and the ways of being that didn’t serve me, that I have discarded. There is now time to appreciate how I am, and to be in this moment rather than looking to be better in the next. I also notice that I am more likely to accept a compliment rather than to brush it off as I would have done in the past. This didn’t honour me and it didn’t honour the person giving the compliment. Now I am far more honouring of everyone and that feels lovely.

292. Willingness to unwrap the little packages that life presents is a choice that I am making more and more and actively appreciating what is revealed but reading the honesty with which you share your experiences I can feel how I am still struggling to truly accept myself and how this has an ongoing effect. Thank you for the inspiration to accept and appreciate the gifts that life constantly presents us.

293. In our everyday language, there is much despair, debate, and denigration about how life is ‘unfair’ imbalanced or simply cruel. But when you truly understand and see your life from a universal view, you can at last grasp that everything is right and correct and important. No hair, no sound, no movement is out of place – everything exists in complete relation to Love and is actually delivered with such speed and grace. It is only the blinkers we wear as you illustrate Nicole, that stop us from seeing our view of life is upside down in the first place.

     1. Brilliant comment Joseph, you remind me that we often choose to see what we want to see. When we truly open our eyes and feel what is truly happening we can also feel that love is indeed all around us moving in a way that supports us in every way.

294. Lately acceptance and appreciation have been more in my face, having been in a rut of constantly thinking/being told by my thoughts that I simply am not accepting all the yuk of the world and I have to feel it more – This is only making me feel yuk! Coming back to this blog has got me questioning – what if it is the fact that I am amazing that I have not accepted? What if it’s not the yuk I am avoiding but the fact that 1. the yuk is not me and 2. I am beautiful? and loving and delicate and that I do live with a greater amount of steadiness, stillness, love, joy and harmony in my life than I ever have? Thank you Nicole.

295. I love how you share that life’s lessons get delivered in packages, it feels so loving to acknowledge this and to be aware of how things work, everything that happens seems to always support us in our life when we choose to appreciate how it is. Also to appreciate how far we’ve come is a gorgeous moment to take and it allows us space to move onto the next package when we are ready.

296. Today a group of us shared some our our Livingness through talks and Presentations, it was well appreciated by the audience, as they felt inspired and experienced moments of joy and stillness. As they shared their feedback it was a beautiful moment foe us all to appreciate the so many lives we touched.

297. Every now and then I get a package that takes me back to my old, familiar pattern – sure, they are an invite for me to take a moment and look deeper, but I have to say that’s when I feel the most resistance and want to have a tantrum, going ‘What? Again? I thought I had done that already!’ and the truth is yes, again – because there’s more to be unfold, and more to be let go of.

298. Thank you Nicole for reminding me about the blessings these little packages bring and appreciate where we have come from, and the opportunity to let go of habits and patterns that do not belong to our true loving self that is emerging.

299. The blessing and gifts our daily lives present to us to learn and grow from everyday is something we all do not stop and truly appreciate nearly enough.

300. Thank you for this gorgeous article Nicole. The truth you share here is very powerful. I can see that absolutely every situation offers us an opportunity to appreciate. As I read your words I connected to a recent incident that has left my car splattered in concrete (ouch). In the past I would have seen this as injustice, a random accident and a very annoying inconvenience. Now I am able to see that this incident is something that allows me to focus my attention on something in my life that I need to deal with. Whenever I find myself distressed about the irresponsibility of the construction company (that is refusing to rectify the situation) or the state of my car I bring myself back by appreciating that an energetic state of play is being shown to me.

301. Everyone could benefit from a spoon full of appreciation.

     1. a spoonful of appreciation is medicine for life.

     2. It sure is great medicine Luke.

302. ‘Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?’ Great food for thought, Nicole. So often we pass over the gift that’s come our way because we’re too busy defending or maintaining our usual position, too blinkered to see the gold that’s on offer for us to ponder on, or too arrogant to believe that there’s something deeply evolutionary beneath the packaging it’s wrapped in.

     1. Beautifully said Cathy, instead of getting preoccupied with the actual wrapping of the gifts our everyday life presents us and what they look like on the outside, we need to just unwrap them to see and feel the opportunity presented on the inside.

303. It is important to clock and appreciate those positive changes we’ve made in our lives and what you’ve written here Nicole is a great reminder for me – too often I know I can take the path of being hard on myself and take for granted the changes that I’ve made and be almost dismissive of them without really acknowledging and appreciating them to the depth that I could.

     1. I can very much relate to what you say, deborahmckay. And for me, that ‘taking for granted’ also goes towards the situations and people around me and it’s quite shocking to realise how ungrateful I can be sometimes. What I am feeling is that if there is no true, whole-body appreciation, it doesn’t become a foundation upon which more can be built – it’s just a moment of elation that is transient and I may say hundreds of thank yous or congratulations, and it is something I can compute in my head and tick the box – but doesn’t get registered as something that is true. This says the whole lot about loving myself first to love another dearly.

304. Thank you Nicole, I really loved reading this blog, I find as I open up more to me, and the little packages that come my way, I can stop and really appreciate how far I have come from the person I was four years ago.

305. This is beautiful to re-read Nicole and perfect timing for me as I have been considering lately how I am not appreciating myself enough – thank you for your honesty it supports me to go deeper with this in my own life.

306. It is amazing to stop and look at the transformation that take place in our lives when we start to make consistent changes in our choices. I have found this very supportive in developing self-appreciation.

307. Thank you Nicole for sharing your experience, I have found it hard in the past to accept and appreciate complements when given. As I look back now at how far I have come in a few short years, I can feel so much more love for me and life in general. I recently received a package that has shown me where more change is required, I too appreciate this opportunity to discard old ways and claim more of my loving inner heart.

     1. Your comment and this blog reminds me of how I used to find compliments from others awkward as I was taught that appreciation and compliments should be played down and not accepted when I received them. It is by reflection from other people accepting appreciation and compliments that I too started to accept this for myself. Now, I regularly appreciate myself and others. This is deeply confirming.

     2. It takes humility and understanding to unwrap and really feel a package that has been presented.

308. Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown? Super question Nicole, and in the past the answer was no, I didn’t. These days however, I do take the time to ponder the events or happenings in my life, for the reflections and realisations are a great support in deepening my awareness.

309. being able to really accept compliments, to be able to be appreciated, and to allow this to flow through us and not get stuck on the way, so to speak, is a wonderful experience, and very healing for both the recipient and the appreciator.

     1. Yes, absolutely Cjames2012. It is only in the past 12 months that I have realised the power of appreciation.

310. Thank you Nicole, there is much to appreciate in what you have shared. Life gives us many moments in which to stop and appreciate, I am working on trying to appreciate these moments in the moment rather than only reflecting on them later.

     1. Wise words Lee, why would save the expansive feeling of true appreciation for only later on when we can also celebrate it in the actual moment.

311. Appreciation is sometimes such a hurdle to step over, but it is so beautiful to accept everything you get confirmed, and appreciate the point where we have come. And also choose to go on and not see it as an end point, but an encouragement to see what is next as we are so much more, there is always a next point of evolution.

312. Thank you, Nicole. Such a great reminder that we are constantly presented with a chance to confirm and evolve. I can feel how not appreciating myself in full has allowed me to stall thinking ‘I am not good enough yet’ which is just a trap.

     1. So true Fumiyo. By understanding that appreciation is deeply confirming and evolving means it is something that is very loving to consistently choose to share with ourselves and others.

313. In reading your words Nicole, that life is always presenting us with so much, I had a moment of just reconnecting and feeling the truth of this. Every moment, so much reflects back to us who we are, what we are not, the way to move forward with life, rather than fight and struggle. I really love your deep appreciation of all that has changed for you and all you have chosen to allow those changes to occur.

314. This is true Nicola, I have been told on a number of occasions recently that i am looking younger each time we meet, the most recent was someone I had not seen for at least 5 years.

315. Feeling wow about ourselves is natural when we simply live the embodiment as the Sons of God, with appreciating ourselves deeper every day, the wow becomes our every day, heaven is normal.

     1. Adele, it feels you have a handle on appreciation….. is inspiring!

316. When we start to truly appreciate ourselves, it is easy to discern if a compliment is true or not. If it is true, it is always a deepening in accepting from my side; if it is just words, it is a consistent learning to not react.

     1. great point Adele that when we take the time for self appreciation, it becomes easier to discern compliments and I would add, it becomes easier to discern life in general: people and situations. And how we underestimate, undervalue Appreciation – ( I know I have in the past).

317. When we feel the appreciation to ourselves through the support of the body, it builds a consistent warm, steady and beholding foundation we have with ourselves. This surrenders the body and no protection is necessary to prove ourselves, we simply move in naturalness with ourselves others in life. Appreciation is truly powerful.

     1. Yes it is indeed Adele. Appreciation is simply magical and confirming.

318. Paying and receiving compliments is a bit of funny one. Where I live, people pay compliment to others, but it feels like they say it expecting to hear ‘oh-no, I am not that xxxx’ and can’t handle it when they get a thank-you and a smile in confirmation. Celebrating ourselves in appreciation of our own greateness is something we all need to get used to.

     1. I can very much relate to what you’ve shared Fumiyo. Where I grew up it was very much accepted to only pay compliments to others and if someone was to pay a compliment to you back, you are to play it down or even deny it. This was what I was used to seeing back then but when I moved to another country I started to see people accepting compliments and appreciating them. I realised I felt uncomfortable at first because I was not used to seeing this but I soon also realised it was Ok to accept appreciation and compliments when it was expressed from the heart. I was learning to celebrate and appreciate myself from seeing examples of this in other people. It is amazing how much we can teach and learn from each other.

319. Nicole this reminds me to take more notice of what is said in the future and just what it offers me that I may not have been aware of in the past. Great learning can be had, and all has value if we care to stop and look, things don’t just happen.

320. In answer to your question, do you ever stop to truly feel, my answer is still, no, not really.
     I am aware that there is so much more that I could observe and learn from. To deepen my stillness, so that I can truly feel, is a challenge I will embrace; with love and commitment.
     Thank you again Nicole for the inspiration.

321. Thanks to Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon I know now: one day not appreciated is like one day not fully lived.

322. Thanks Nicole. Appreciation is a grand thing to have in our lives, and so is letting love in. I know myself, how often do I truly let love in? am I willing to receive a lot of love from another? I know I love myself deeply, and it was a great reminder to read your blog and confirm that life sort of has its natural process, and we don’t have much control, we just have choices that we make, everything else is down to the grand symphony of the universe.

323. Wow with such a change for the better in your life Nicole, it is clearly evident how wise it is to make the most of each little package we receive. However small, each small step we take to embracing more of who we truly are is well worth the experience.

324. “Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?”
     Indeed I have Nicole, many times, however much less so in recent times.
     Your blog has again inspired me to stop, feel, and trust what is happening in my body; also to appreciate and accept others and myself.

325. “Never was I comfortable accepting or appreciating what was said to me, instead choosing to brush them off thinking I was not good enough to accept compliments of any sort.” I so relate to this Nicole I used to not only not be able to accept a compliment, I would make a point of lessening what someone had said by making a negative comment, totally dismissing someone else’s appreciation for me. Learning to accept and appreciate who I am has allowed me to accept and enjoy the appreciation from other people

326. Great that you can see life’s packages as opportunities Nicole. Sometimes it’s easier to see that more in other people’s circumstances than your own, so it’s great to have that broader perspective on things.

327. And here I am again, relearning how powerful appreciation really is even the uncomfortableness is to be appreciated for it reveals a great power I have been avoiding. Thanks Nicole.

328. Appreciation is a real stopping moment, allowing the stillness to take me deeper into accepting how glorious I am by nature. It is the true acknowledgment we have been searching for; the fullness one feels when standing in the glory of who we truly are equal to all.

     1. I agree, well said Suzanne.

329. Nicole, I can relate to both of these main points! Firstly, we are regularly offered ‘packages’ in life… and for me instead of trying to ignore the packages, side-step or avoid these, blame them, dramatise them to make them bigger than they are (!) etc. I am now learning more and more to embrace them, and to be open to the truth, reflection and support they are always offering me. Secondly, learning to truly appreciate and accept myself is HUGE… I used to think that appreciating myself meant I was ego centred and/or selfish but I’m now learning that true appreciation has nothing to do with big-noting or otherwise… It simply has to do with me being me and appreciating ‘that’!

330. Hi Nicole, I love how you have explained that life presents these little packages. It feels more relatable to what is being presented to us. I’m going to be more aware of my little packages and appreciate them for what they are – gifts of life.

331. For myself also Nicole – If it was not for Serge Benhayon, Universal Medicine and the way of the Livingness. “For all they share and represent” I know, that I would still be only ‘existing’ in a way that was so disregarding of myself and others. I stop frequently in my day now and feel deep appreciation for the gift of attending my first ever presentation, and continue to do so. This has so opened my whole being to appreciate so much more in my life that was already there right under my nose – but I was too blinkered to feel those many gifts and deeply appreciate them. Its a continuing every growing/expanding circle of life as now I honour more and appreciate the beauty within which then expands to include all those around me. So with appreciation Nicole thank you for this awesome, inspiring blog.

332. This blog is an incredible gift. Thank you. With these packages, we can take the time to unfold the wrapping, look inside and bring into our life what we find. If we allow and accept these packages then our life becomes full of amazing gifts and true opportunities to learn. I recently had a situation where I could have fallen into woe is me reaction, and I can feel there is more to learn from this package, and a big part of it is appreciating how i have accepted that package as a gift to learn from. This is a blog which I will come back to time and time again.

333. It seems crazy that we can drive ourselves to such a point of distraction or seeking recognition rather than stop, be still and deeply appreciate ourselves and how amazing we are, something that can only truly be felt in the body.

     1. Yes Suzanne , sometimes we continuously chase our tail until totally exhausted. And only then do we seek any stillness – seeking relief from the tension.

334. Love that comment ‘there really is no room for me to have an issue about anything’. The appreciation you take the time to feel allows you to fit naturally into who you already are, and so your place in the world makes sense. No doubts.

335. I get this comment from time to time – how young I look, and I always brush it off. It took my kids to point out that I was doing this, and not taking a moment to appreciate that it is the way I live that can be felt by others, that it is a way that supports me and makes me more of who I am, and that is recognised by others (and can inspire them to change the way they are living.)

336. Love this sharing Nicole. Many times of late those I’ve met have taken the time to express a compliment to me, of the many changes that they feel about me – having known me for several years. Instead of just taking in what had been offered, yes, I would respond but to be honest I did not ‘fully’ take onboard what had just been presented to me. This was time for me ‘stop’ to reflect and really appreciate the road travelled to get to this point in my life – a true gift and blessing.

337. This is such an important reminder Nicole, of how vital it is to stop and appreciate how far I have come through the loving choices I have made through the Love I have committed to. I am also learning and discovering that it is not only powerful to appreciate this, how far I have come, but to also accept in full, the glory of Divine that woman I now know I am and the I Love I choose to live with. With this I can appreciate and celebrate the joy of my Livingness as the Love I am within is shared with all.

338. A great reminder, Nicole of the fact that life continually presents stuff for us to reflect on and learn from if we choose to heed the moments.

339. Gorgeous Nicole, and the questions you ask here are such important ones. It seems so normal how we tend to get wrapped up in the momentum of ‘whats next’, when half the time we haven’t truly been with what is. I can so relate to your sharing; ‘Never was I comfortable accepting or appreciating what was said to me,’ as I too was a major squirmer to any paid compliment or true appreciation toward me from someone else, opting to move from that un-comfortability as soon as possible, brushing it off, not stopping to really listen or take in what was being shared and offered. I see now what a dis-service this is, to me and the person expressing. To allow an appreciation to be expressed and shared also allows the space for more, that connection to be more deeply acknowledged, and no attempts to separate need be made.

340. With love and appreciation for Serge Benhayon, Universal Medicine and the Way of The Livingness for all they share and represent. It is through this sharing that I have been able to reconnect to who I truly am. I now accept myself for who I am and how far I have come. My sentiments too Nicole!

341. Life indeed presents us with gifts everyday to grow and evolve. Its up to us if we choose to open ourselves to what is being presented to us, or not.

342. Nicole it is a great reminder to appreciate all the packages we receive in our daily life. I often forget to stop and appreciate as I get caught up in the day to day, but I feel it’s so important too. Appreciating theses little things allows us to deepen our connection to all that we are within.

343. Thank you Nicole for reminding me how powerful it is to appreciate all the seemingly little things that come our way. As in truth, I now realise that all these packages are equally important gifts, as opportunities for us to simply deepen our connection to All that we are within.

344. Perfect for me to read this today Nicole. I was home last weekend for my mother’s 80th birthday and had a super weekend. I had a lovely connection with my older sister whom in the past I could never get along with. And So many people commented on how well I was looking and that I looked younger than last time they saw me 6 years ago….. I could feel how they could feel how amazing I felt, and since coming back and straight back to work I have not had the time to fully appreciate this awesome confirmation of all the loving and consistent choices I have made in my life to feel this way and how I now live my life.

345. Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel? Your question here Nicole reminded me of two experiences, one only a couple of days ago. Both experiences were expressing to me their appreciation of what I bring.
     I feel the second occurrence was to remind me that I still haven’t fully accepted the first one, and so here it is again. Time to let it in in full, as there is no question of worth here, it is a given, I am love.

     1. Julie yes, it is great to recognise and appreciate at their true value the little packages that come our way. There is no randomness in life everything has a significance. It is up to us to discern whether they are showing us appreciation for who we are or providing us with a way to explore an area that needs deepening.

     2. This is beautiful Julie. Life seems to present and represent opportunities for us until we “get it”. For me it is a bit of a process of getting it and then appreciating that I have got it and then expressing that I am it.

346. There is always more to learn and appreciate in life than what first meets the eye. We are constantly being given the opportunity to connect more deeply with ourselves and the world around us. As you say Nicole a seeming ‘inconvenience’, chance meeting or even huge upheaval, when felt into more deeply can become an amazing gift. Appreciation is a door that unlocks deeper understanding and opens our hearts to love.

     1. I agree Barbara Ross; ‘ Appreciation is a door that unlocks deeper understanding and opens our hearts to love’. This makes so much sense to me today.

     2. It asks us to surrender to the fact that everything in life is there to support us, that we are the One.

347. I’m learning to embrace and appreciate the packages that life sends me and to even have a chuckle about them at times instead of feeling as though I’m a victim of life like I used to. I can see them now as something being presented to me to learn from.

     1. I love the reminder here to be playful and have a giggle instead of feeling woe is me. what a beautiful opportunity to see situations in life as a package to be learnt from.

        1. Yes Simone and Deborah…I spend a day the other day oscillating between saying yes to the packages and no thanks I’m busy playing the victim and gosh I could feel such a difference in my body. When I was saying yes, the tension in my head cleared and there was no wobble – I could feel the purpose of what was there to be learnt and I felt quite solid. When I was saying no, it is all consuming, lots of tears, lots of stories and I wanted to stay in bed and eat chips.It is always a choice.

     2. So true deborahmckay. The packages continue to come whether we like it or not. We can learn from them and appreciate them or react to them – the choice is ours.

     3. What a great way to look at packages. It’s up to us to choose to see them.

348. Thank you for reminding me to appreciate those little packages that come my way. Over the past couple of days I have had some extraordinary moments where I have exclaimed “No Way!” and “Are you kidding me?!?!”. I can now see the playfulness in the synchronicity of life, particularly with nature from extremely random events that are most definitely not ordinary. A big wake up call to snap out of my self induced slumber and appreciate how amazing I am!

     1. This is so true Suzanne. There is a divine synchronicity of life and the more we appreciate the ‘little packages’ that come our way, the more we realise and come to know that we too are, in essence, all part of this divine order.

        1. Carole Beautifully said, “in essence we are all part of the divine order,” the more we appreciate the little packages the clearer the divine synchronicity. Nature really has its way of showing and being playful with the little packages.

     2. Suzanne thanks for reminding me to go further in appreciating the tinniest of packages that come my way. Yesterday I was appreciating the routine and care that I take in my home. To deeply appreciate this confirms the level of dedication I have in respecting the space and all those who live in it.

        1. grounded05 this is a great example of a package. Thank you for presenting this. You’ve given me the opportunity to stop and appreciate my home and how I care for it.

     3. I can appreciate the synchronicity of life too Suzanne. There is nothing that happens by chance. If we take note of what is going on around us we can appreciate the interrelatedness of it all. One observation can confirm another.

        1. Yes Lee , a never-ending ripple effect.

349. I love those little packages that life presents us regularly and I am learning slowly but surely to truly appreciate them. In fact after much of my life struggling to acknowledge the wonderful things people would often say about me, wondering who they were actually talking about, I now have the deepest appreciation for their beautiful words. And the appreciation I have for me, as to how far I have come in this life, is gradually replacing the negative thoughts I used to have about how much I haven’t done or what I perceived that I had done “wrong”. Taking stock, acceptance and appreciation: all new words in my vocabulary, but words that are getting used more and more each day.

350. Although I have totally changed within 1.5 years and there is so much in my life to appreciate I have big difficulties with that. I can do it in my head in looking at where I have been and where I am now but I do not really feel and embody it deeply. What I realized in the last weeks is that I can only embody appreciation when I appreciate myself THROUGH MOVEMENT! Everything I do, f.e. cooking, choosing clothes, taking a shower, doing my hair, can be done in an energy of appreciation and that really helps me to embody that I am actually amazing 🙂

     1. Yes Eva, I can relate to this. I have been wondering why I haven’t been so willing to feel and confirm appreciation. part of the reason is that I have been trying to think my way through appreciation. What you have shared reminds me to confirm, appreciate and celebrate through my movement, as this is when I naturally feel my amazing qualities of stillness, tenderness, beauty etc.

        1. Love what Eva Maria shares and can feel how moving in appreciation allows an embodiment of it rather than it being a mental thing where I clock the changes but do not deeply confirm and appreciate them.

        2. Thank you Eva and Simone , this way of appreciation feels so beautiful and true, honoring each moment and embodying this in each movement … ‘Celebrate through my movement.. this is when I naturally feel my amazing qualities of stillness, tenderness, beauty’

     2. Thankyou Eva Maria! This is so true, appreciation is something that can be lived for ourselves in all of our movements, and each series of appreciative movements can set us up for more appreciation!

        1. ‘and each series of appreciative movements can set us up for more appreciation!’ Spot on Harryjwhite….

        2. It is a beautiful ripple effect of appreciation that sets us up for more appreciation movement in every moment.

     3. This is so true evamariafoertsch. I am currently working on appreciating all the little loving choices I make each and every moment throughout the day. It is from these little loving choices that I am then able to commit to only choosing love in every situation, whether it be a big or little decision.

     4. Love it evamariafoertsh…. makes so much sense as I ‘move’ into my day with appreciating how I now move with so much more stillness!

        1. Just joined in this moment of appreciation. I feel how I walk with an ease and stride of playfulness that others can feel.

     5. I can relate to this as well, it’s one thing to think and appreciate but it feels flat or it is only a momentary pick up. To actually feel and move in that appreciation – which for me is at the moment about learning to listen to my body and following its lead more and more – is what makes a lasting difference.

     6. Beautiful Evamarie! Through every movement.

351. As a society we completely underestimate the power of appreciation and how foundational it is to our health and well being. Together we need change this.

352. I am learning that appreciation is something that has to be embodied to be felt. I could intellectually appreciate myself and accept an appreciative comment from others but feeling it deeply in every moment of my day when those little packages are presented to me changed everything. I find when I embody a deep appreciation for myself there is a fullness to my being that is unable to be penetrated.

353. It is great to be reminded that there is so much more to the events that occur in our lives. Even with the seemingly negative things that happen, there is something that we can appreciate, if we look at the bigger picture rather than the tiny specks.

354. It’s interesting how we can appreciate others so deeply but find it hard to accept appreciation from others.

355. Yes so true Nicole, “For example, some of the packages that I have been presented with have allowed me to feel that there is an area in my life that may need more attention and a change in the way I am – within myself, my life, and with the people around me.” This is always happening to me in small ways throughout my day,however at the moment there is a big package that is being presented. Thank you for reminding me to take a closer, deeper look at my behavior with respect to the rest of our brothers in the world. What quality am I presenting?

356. These are powerful words Brendan…appreciation is certainly a game changer in how we perceive ourselves, our life and the world around us.

357. This happens more and more to me Nicole- little moments in time that make me stop and and wonder why. They happen more as I become more aware of them and don’t just charge through. And more and more as I realise how I am affects everything, and so what happens is a chance for me to learn how I am with things. Something very beautiful about it.

358. Just appreciated myself ! 🙂 Thanks for reminding me how beautiful it is to bring it back to me!

359. Self appreciation is not something I grew up learning, or doing.
     In fact I would always look outside of myself for validation that I was OK. This resulted in me constantly giving my power away to others or things eg doing well at school, being ‘good catholic girl’. However since having met Serge Benhayon and attending workshops I have learnt and felt the power of self appreciation.
     In honouring who we are – feeling and knowing that the qualities within us is all we need is life changing.

360. Sometimes life gives us a package that we don´t understand and we need help to do it. In the end, i agree with you that if we focus on appreciating, we get the big picture and it is not an issue anymore, it becomes a blessing when we look back.

361. Thank you Nicole I just got entangled in old choices and the pattern of being enormously strict with myself. Thanks to you blog I was able to remember again, that it is not about right or wrong, but about simply observing what is going on and than choosing what I am prepared to choose and holding myself in love.

362. And I love your question at the end ” Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?” This is a gorgeous gift – thank you.

363. Thank you Nicole for your deeply honest sharing – I, for one, can totally relate to what you have shared and reading this has made me stop and take time to consider my appreciation of life and its gifts.

364. Thank you Nicole. It is often so much easier to go back into old ways of thinking instead of appreciating how we are right now. And how it often takes another to reflect that to us. That in itself tells us how far we have been away from loving and appreciating ourselves, and that we are still tentatively dipping our toe in the water.
     How great and refreshing it is to appreciate all that we are, and the amazing learning that we embrace in life.

365. Nicole, not truly appreciating how far we have come is something I can relate to too. Really allowing myself to deeply feel and appreciate the genuine compliments given is now being presented to me, and it is huge, but so expansive. It calls me to let go of identification I still hold of that ‘older’ version of me. It feels like the old skin has to be completely shed to allow me to appreciate and live more deeply who I am today.

366. The words, ‘During my life I have had compliments from others, whether that’s being told how great I looked or how well I was doing with things in my life. Never was I comfortable accepting or appreciating what was said to me, instead choosing to brush them off thinking I was not good enough to accept compliments of any sort,’ so expose how most people are raised and taught.

     In the early year of life most are told not to get ‘big headed’ or ‘up themselves’. In fact parents usually actively teach this in no uncertain terms. The message from that is that to think one is great in any special way is not acceptable and by taking this on the child develops the belief that they are not enough.

     Raising a child with true appreciation of all that is precious about them supports them to know in every cell of their body that they are already all that they ever need to be. That a compliment is simply a confirmation of this and consequently there is no need to be striving to be as good or better than anyone else. Raising children this way keeps a child’s potential glowing with promise and open to all the possibilities the future holds.

367. This is great, I know from myself how difficult it is receiving compliments, but I get to learn more and more that comes from not truly appreciating myself, and my life as it has been so far. But as I am learning to appreciate more. I can feel how amazing I am and the changes I have made to my life since meeting Serge Benhayon for the first time are huge.

368. I am appreciating a lot more about my life now than I ever used to. Life is always presenting opportunities to us, some for learning, some for confirming but I try and appreciate them all. It is perhaps a bit hard for me to accept others appreciating me but as I am appreciating myself more this is becoming easier.

     1. Yes Anne, I hear you. The step to appreciating ourselves seems to be a difficult one for some, me included. We need to make the effort to do this as I know it will bring such glory for us and our brothers. It is our deep responsibility to do this.

369. So many presents in every day that reflect something to us, yet it is up to us if we unwrap them or not. If we do, it’s like our birthday every day!

     1. True Marriette! So why do we hold us back from celebrating ourselves everyday?!
        Don´t we all love birthdays 🙂

     2. I’m really looking at appreciation at the moment and have realised I have not appreciated so many facets of myself and life … and that is a great insight. Now I am exposing the game I play with ‘appreciation’ not only does the level of appreciation not always sink in … but … often a countering voice will come in to squash or demean the initial ‘appreciation’. So feeling the confirmation of appreciation within my body is building a deeper connection.

370. This is beautiful Brendan, it’s a small package of words but it feels like wisdom for the ages. Thankyou. I can’t help but feel how different the world would be if we all lived this way.

371. When I read this I assumed it would be about learning things that highlight weaknesses or where change is needed, but what I realised is how little I appreciate or see life as nurturing me to appreciate all I am, instead interpreting my “packages” as always showing me something to work on, or pointing out something wrong with me. It’s great to uncover this perception and remember that life is not trying to catch me out in my failings, but to support me to surrender to the love all around me. It’s also uncovered my own tendency to be hard on myself and critical instead of appreciative.

372. We make such a hoopla and rah-rah about the presents we receive at Christmas and on our birthdays, but as you say Nicole my experience is life is consistently presenting us with the most amazing gifts. I wonder what our lives would be like if we bought the same appreciation and enthusiasm to unwrapping these packages that come our way? When we appreciate ourselves in the way you outline, it’s like we realise we are actually a gift to this world too and start to see that other people are too.

     1. I love that Joseph.. I am opening my present today!

     2. True Joseph, appreciation is a key to realise we are actually a gift to world too and then we start to see that others are that too. I can say I stand in the beginning of appreciating myself and when I do I feel how I can embrace myself and the world and when I do not I feel a victim and the world is to blame, it is if I say I am not perfect yet so I am not worth the appreciation instead of appreciating me in the process of unfolding.

373. This is so true Nicole, when we are offered these packages as you shared we do need to stop and acknowledge them even if at the time we don’t appreciate just what they are telling or offering us.. Thank you for the reminder to do so and to appreciate ourselves as well, we can often overlook the great changes we have made.

374. I have often had these moments where life presents situations for me to look at. If I choose to, I am able to take responsibility for why the situation was presented and see what needs to change. When I do not choose this, the situation, and its opportunity to learn and evolve, is presented again and again – this may not always be pleasant, but is a true gift.

375. Its great to have those stop moments and to really appreciate and accept how far I have come over the past few years. With the ever deepening love that just keeps growing – appreciation is always there too. Thank you Nicole for another inspirational sharing.

376. You have presented an important ‘package’ in this blog Nicole, an opportunity to appreciate ‘me’ and an opportunity to expose more of what gets in the way of not being present and opening the package straight away. Often I will leave a situation and all the things that were presented come flooding in and I have allowed a beautiful moment of healing for myself and others involved to pass. Whilst the realisation and revelations that arise after still allow for healing, I am pondering what it is that gets in the way at the moment ‘it is all happening’. I feel going into the energy of ‘real’, ‘trying’ and ‘getting it right’ is whats stopping the openness to allow for the package to drop instantly. I appreciate the trigger to ‘reflect some more’ – Thank you for your gift today and the opportunity to go deeper

377. It is enormous how hurtful it is to another when they say something appreciative about us and we can’t accept it. Its like we literally shove their love back in their faces. In rejecting ourselves we are also rejecting them.
     Appreciating ourselves and confirming then, is super important, and of course there will always be another opportunity to stop and feel and accept when appreciation naturally and inevitably comes our way.

378. Appreciation is such a beautiful opportunity to deepen our love for ourselves, confirming who and all that we truly are. At times I overlook this opportunity when I get caught in ‘what’s next’. When in truth at times what is needed next is to stop, appreciate and confirm what is being lived.

379. I am allowing myself more and more to accept and appreciate compliments and not brush them a side like I used to, thinking that I didn’t really deserve them. When I look back now I can see that I felt awkward, but I can also feel how hurtful it must be if someone makes a loving comment and it is disparaged or denigrated.

     1. This is an inspiring comment Alison. When people pay us a compliment it is not necessarily for what we have done but for what we have reflected back to them.
        They are in fact saying they like our reflection, don’t spoil it for them by being blase’. thank them for their appreciation.

380. Absolutely had those days Nicole, days when you see what is presented, and you accept the invitation to say yes, I’m worth all that’s on offer.

381. Nicole, I love what this challenges me to do. I feel that I don’t want to allow others to have the space to express their response to the way I am. This is a strange thing. I can be me and express to let people in, yet I can feel the guard come up when they respond in a personal way. I feel like I hide under the covers. It’s like I have no real appreciation of the amazing woman I am, I can’t take the praise without embarrassment and feeling like a fraud. This is something to work on. To stand in the moment, with me, accepting the woman I am.

382. I don’t appreciate any where near as much as I could. This blog is a great reminder for me to see life’s gifts (usually right there in front me) and take in the wonder of God and nature.

383. I love how you describe the packages presented to us as opportunities to “…help me see what needs to be looked at in my life, or simply what needs to be accepted and appreciated.”

384. This is a work in progress for me and I hadn’t realised until relatively recently just how important an attitude of appreciation is to have – for myself, the people that support me and yes absolutely “the packages” for whatever learning and growth they bring.

     1. I’m the same Deborah, I’ve just clocked the importance of appreciation and it’s only been recently that I’ve felt the effects of what appreciation does. It was a major missing ingredient to my self love and care.

385. Beautifully expressed Nicole, this is a great blog to revisit and be reminded that we can always deepen our appreciation and acceptance of ourselves for the amazing changes we have made in our lives.

386. Great second re-read Nicole, self appreciation and appreciating the people we have in our lives definitely makes a difference to how I feel and then reflects how I treat those I come in contact with during my day.
     I can say there has been many occasions in my life where I have been presented with something to look at and at the time haven’t fully felt the significance of what has been offered to me. But it is great when you do realise there is more on offer here, and not just another uncomfortable situation to deal with. Thanks for sharing.

387. So beautiful Nicole. Self-appreciation is key; to hold back on confirming how amazing we are holds the whole world to ransom and is a loss of expansion for not only ourselves but for all of humanity. And it just feels glorious to accept it! I am working with this at the moment – expanding my acceptance of myself and deeply exploring why I can only go so far and then there’s a barrier. Why is the barrier there? Why have I put this barrier up? This may or may not come to me but by simply being aware it is there is slowly but surely breaking the barrier down. Awesome blog and thank you so very much for being able to work towards fully appreciating your glorious self; it has inspired me.

388. Thank you so much Nicole for this very needed reminder to appreciate oneself more deeply and often. You wrote: “Never was I comfortable accepting or appreciating what was said to me, instead choosing to brush them off thinking I was not good enough to accept compliments of any sort.” I wonder how often people say something like this. For me this is like a disease and because of that it is important to have someone like you who offered us an opportunity to show us how healthy it is to do so.

389. That is beautiful Nicole, I have BIG appreciation for what you share and how far you have come. You have an incredible strength that is palpable in your writing. Power is arising…

390. You certainly are a inspiration Nicole and it is great to hear and feel you claiming more of you, something I can really relate to as I have changed my whole life in a short space of time and yet even though I know that there is much more there that can change I also have not appreciated me and how much I am now claiming myself and also how much I am really enjoying me. This is a great reminder and a stop to really work on this part as an absolute priority.

391. Beautiful blog Nicole. I can relate, I often see things that happen in a negative way, but your blog reminded me that there is always a truth in a moment to feel and it might not be the negative I automatically go to. This negative I have experienced sometimes blinds me from seeing what is truly there and to appreciate it and myself.

     1. Indeed everything that happens in life, especially all negative things, contains a teaching and it is often a very big one. But we don`t get it if we just go into an emotional judgement of the situation.

392. I like the point you have made about not feeling good enough to accept compliments, as I am sure this is very common with most people. There is nothing like the feeling of someone confirming how you already feel inside and after many years of not feeling good enough, I certainly appreciate those moments.

393. Thank you Nicole for a great blog, I can really relate to what you are saying. I too, found compliments hard to accept, and would have to brush them off somehow. As I receive compliments now, I am coming to realise that this is an opportunity for me feel into how far I have come, to love and accept and appreciate who I have now become.

     1. I can so relate to what you are saying Jill, confirming and appreciating ourselves and how we are learning, growing and evolving as a person is something most of us do not do nearly enough of.

394. Beautiful to read Nicole and a great reminder to stop and feel as the truth is always with us if we choose to feel it.

395. Life does offer us package and learning opportunities in every moment and I am recognizing, and more importantly accepting, them more and more. In the past i thought often ‘why me’ in a way that was disempowered and as a victim of life. I know think ‘why me’ as a genuine question to what it is life, or a specific situation or encounter, is telling me. I love the term ‘earth school” and I can attend it’s classes every moment of everyday.

     1. I love the term “earth school” too Carolien. This way of looking at difficulties we encounter is so much more empowering than thinking we are victims. Thank you Nicole for writing about appreciation and how loving and supportive it is when we take time to confirm who we are and how we are living.

        1. Beautifully expressed Carolien and Bernadette. Observing our lives and how they unfold in our ‘earth school’ empowers us to accept and appreciate each and every experience as simply a lesson, a lesson that we choose to learn and grow from, or not. Either way like all true lessons in life they have a way of coming around again and again until we master them. Such is the beauty and truth of life.

396. Awesome blog Nicole. I know the trick of seeing the changes I made, even accepting the compliments but to always have a ‘yes but’ up my sleeve having a very keen eye for what is ‘not yet right’. Your words have once again reminded me of how important it is to fully accept where we are at in any moment, flaws and all, knowing that I am always amazing no matter what instead of waiting for myself to be perfect before i can wholly and full-heartedly appreciate all that I am, bring and share in this world.

     1. It’s a great point you bring up Carolien about waiting till we are are perfect before we appreciate. It’s a trap one can get stuck in, ‘when I have this then I will be happier’, in doing this we miss the beauty that is already waiting to be appreciated.

        1. Yes Kim and I find the other one is..”When you give me your love, then and only then I will give you mine”. We hold the world to ransom to bring us the very thing that we have within us just waiting to be shared. What will the world begin to look like if we learn to take the first step, first, and make it our new normal.

        2. Absolutely Irena, I know that one well, it becomes a measured love to protect our hurts.

        3. Kim I can relate to that trap, I have been there many times before, waiting for myself to be perfect before I can fully appreciate who I really am. But in truth there is so much too appreciate and how much my life has changed with the choices I have made.

397. Lovely reminder, thank you for making me realise that I can appreciate myself and where I am at, I forget that quite often actually.

     1. I am with you on this Benkt. Something I also forget quite often. Here’s to lovingly appreciating ourselves.

398. It was pointed out to me recently that perhaps I hadn’t really appreciated how delicate I am. When it was mentioned I knew what they were saying was true, there was an intellectual understanding of it but I hadn’t really let it in. Appreciation is an amazing thing to feel in my body, it’s like giving myself permission to really feel and accept in every cell of my body the joy of feeling more of me. Appreciation when walked expands in my body and allows for more love to come in, not from the outside but from within, like an endless well that can only fill your body when you appreciate and accept the gift that you are, in your essence for all.

     1. That is beautiful Suzanne – thank you for sharing this. I love how you describe appreciation, when walked and how it expands from the inside out. I am currently on an appreciation program and it is totally changing the way I feel about myself, so understand first hand what you are saying – very beautiful indeed!

        1. I am so inspired by this Donna, thank you, an appreciation program – yes, mine begins today!

     2. Suzanne thank you for your beautiful words. I had never considered walking appreciation before. I loved the description of appreciation being about the joy of feeling more of ourselves in every cell, as opposed to it being an intellectual exercise.

399. Great observations Nicole. When I look back over my life there were pivotal moments in which I was offered clear and definitive choices.(sometimes daily). Some I listened to and some I did not. Either way there were always yet further choices and opportunities presented to me. Some saying “are you sure you want to continue going this way?” and others saying “the way is open, you know your way”. I was met most often by the first question, in the form of small accidents, unpleasant interactions with others, feeling bad about myself. More and more, as I redevelop the acceptance of love and acceptance of myself, it is the second one that reveals itself to me. The body never lies so the development of trust in oneself as love and acceptance is built within is the greatest signpost we can ever have. Enormous thanks to Universal Medicine from me as well Nicole for sharing this simple fact.

     1. That’s beautiful Jeanette, it’s really we ourselves who open up what package comes next based on the choices we make now and how lovingly we live with ourselves and the world.

        1. Thanks Melinda, Recently I got to see that I still have a need to control my life in order to not feel some hurts. I had not been able to allow myself to be vulnerable, continuing on the well worn path of being seen to be in control and independent and ‘together’.
           Today I got delivered a beautiful but painful ‘package’ (which I had asked for and was willing to open) which showed me the depth of what I had been burying, it brought me to tears, pretty much forcing me to be openly vulnerable with another person who in turn was so steady, supportive, loving and tender whilst this happened. They got more of the true me and for both of us, another step on the way to more love and acceptance.

        2. Melinda that is true it is our choices in and how we live with ourselves that open up what packages come next. That’s how nature and our body supports us. If we are not ready we will not see the packages.

     2. Hi Jeanette that is simply amazing. So often do we have those little moments and signs that present to us something to stop and look at, for we may be going down the wrong path or we may be on our way. These things have been happening all of my life and only now since being a student of Universal Medicine have I learned to read that what life may be showing me is something to learn, rather than something that ‘just happens’

400. I love the reminder Nicole to look at life and appreciate the gifts given for us to learn from .Life is the greatest University that we have!

     1. So true Roslyn, who needs to pay thousands of dollars to go to University when we have true education that comes from the way we live and relate to others.

     2. Awesome Roslyn. Yes we are all enrolled in the school of life and the myriad of learning and inspiring it has to share every moment. For me it is also about remembering to appreciate who I am and how far I have come. Nicole’s blog has reminded of this so beautifully. Thank you.

     3. So true – it is the best education around – and its free!

401. Thanks Nicole, your very right in saying we can loose sight of how far we have come and also I relate to brushing off or rushing past golden moments out of an unwillingness to want to stop and feel the moment. I am still re-training myself to stop and allow myself to feel things in full.

402. I like what you have shared Nicole as it offers another approach to the “poor me” mentality that is easy to go into when life presents these “packages”. Seeing them as an opportunity to bring more attention to a part of my life and an offering of growth is a refreshing reminder for me.

403. “Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel”?
     Yes I have Nicole, not so much lately as I am learning to accept, appreciate and learn from whatever comes my way; knowing that by my choices I have created these situations.

404. Thank you Nicole, I often like to reflect back to situations to get a deeper understanding of what was actually going on. I notice that sometimes I go into delay and not truly allow myself to feel at that moment what is actually happening. I tend to leave it to later to reflect and when I feel things are not resolved I go back to talk about it. I don’t like it when things are not resolved, I like to really get to the bottom of it and understand why and how, so to learn from them. I feel with this delayed way of processing situations I am actually holding back what I truly needed to express. If I learn to allow myself to feel into any situation while it is presenting itself, not to zone out but to really stay connected to my stillness, to be detached to the emotions and to simply observe with clarity. I am then able to get a true understand of what is actually going on and then more able to express with truth and love.

405. Thank you Nicole, reading your words helped me to become aware of how I brush away compliments, and how devastating that is for my connection to do that. When people express their love for me I do not take it seriously because of a long held pattern of believing myself to be less. When someone says something awful about me it sticks, time to change that and allow the love to stick!

406. When life comes and knocks on my door saying: expand, learn your next lesson! I used to think of it in terms of ‘am I going to get this right or am I going to fail’. After some time with Serge Benhayon, his family, Chris James and lots of friends that I met at Universal Medicine events, I am learning to embrace the opportunity and simply observe what unfolds. This is so much less straining and more fun!

407. A beautiful sharing Nicole that completely redefines appreciation. For me I have struggled with this as I used to see it as selfish or I’d always be waiting to better something about myself before I would appreciate.
     When really that was a game to keep me small. And that appreciation is a very loving act to hold.

408. Appreciation is such a wonderful stepping stone for so many things… and one of the most remarkable of these things is how it literally opens us up to life, to its beauty and its wonder, it is like spraying WD40 (one of those sprays that loosens up stuck bolts) all around, helping everyone to loosen up to feel, and to express the joy of living.

409. Nicole, what a timely reminder for me to appreciate what is presented to me on a daily basis, either in a pleasing “package” of confirmation or a more challenging “package” where I might need to ponder some changes in my life. “Packages” are gifts from God.

410. To truly feel the every day, every moment, constellations and what happens in our bodies is something for us to take responsibility for.
     I love reading your blog Nicole and am learning to appreciate and express “unashamedly”

411. This is a beautiful illustration of the constant offerings that life presents to us throughout the day.

     Everyday we are presented with opportunities to see where we haven’t chosen truth, or have held ourselves back in the past. Upon seeing this, we are then graced with the ability to choose differently now and in the future.

412. Dear Nicole,
     appreciation is pretty huge for me at the moment, it is not that I haven’t been appreciating me, but about having the courage to do so unashamedly.

413. Nicole I can so easily relate to those “Why Me” moments, as well as the “Who me?” ones, usually on receiving some beautiful feedback about me. I used to struggle to know that they were actually talking about me; such was the depth of the dis-connection to myself that I could sadly not connect their words to the person I saw myself as. It honestly felt like they were talking about someone else; someone I didn’t know. Slowly, with the amazing presentations of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, I have come to understand that, by learning to appreciate me first there is a natural and spontaneous flow on to the appreciation of others, and this for me has been the biggest building block in the foundation of the way I now live my life; a foundation that used to wobble and crumble quite regularly, but with the growing love and appreciation I now have for myself holds steady, most of the time, and the wobbles, when they happen, are nowhere as huge and as unsettling as in the past. And now when someone says something beautiful about me, I appreciate what they have shared, I accept it and I truly know that, yes, it is me they are talking about.

414. I really enjoyed reading this Nicole – How life presents little packages and how they ‘reflect to you a part of you or your life’. Of late I have been much more aware of these ‘little gifts’ and the joy that this brings to really feel and accept that those self loving changes which we allow into our everyday open up so much more to us.

415. This is a great blog to get us considering what we take notice of and appreciate. I have had a few experiences lately with people I used to know complimenting me on how I looked. I realise I do feel and look great compared to how I used to be. But I can relate to what you shared that I am happy to know I am reflecting this for others but only give a moment to appreciate this for me. When I was reading your story, I also noticed that other people’s ‘significant events’, such as illnesses or accidents stand out more for me than my own.

416. This is a really sweet blog! I love how purpose runs through your words, how there can be a clarity when we stand back and observe life’s events, and see what it is asking of us….including the events we feel we would rather not look at!

417. I am starting to really appreciate the little packages that are dropped into my life from time to time. Although I may get frustrated and upset with them I know that they are sent from my soul to remind me or bring something up which I may need to attend to. How awesome is that-so many opportunities to for us to learn to make more loving choices.

     1. Beautiful Anne, I too have been challenged with some packages from my soul recently – my first reaction has been ‘why me’, then I begin to see the amazing opportunity the situation has bought up for me to look at and make loving choices that will truly support me. Thank you Nicole you have inspired me to deeply appreciate and accept myself and how much I have truly changed.

418. Learning to take responsibility for our choices without going into giving ourselves a hard time but seeing the effect of those choices reflected back to us as an opportunity to choose more loving choices is worth appreciating. It is amazing how much my life has changed and how very different it is, because of the way I choose to live now and I can truly appreciate how far I have come.

419. It’s incredible the extent to which we hold ourselves back by not accepting and appreciating how amazing we truly are.

420. I had a similar experience recently about accepting how I had changed, and also how I had kept myself to a picture of where I used to be and how I used to live. It is incredible how we imprison ourselves with this lack of acceptance of how amazing I am and we are!

421. The first moment I stopped and actually appreciated myself I was blown away by the experience. I am not sure I had ever appreciated myself before and the impact it had on me was huge. Self appreciation should be taught in schools so that it becomes normal to everyone to appreciate ourselves.

422. Absolutely Nicole, I agree, when we express truth we feel who we truly are, as you comment, “It is through this sharing that I have been able to reconnect to who I truly am.”

423. So true Nicole, it is a sad reality that for most of us, including myself, why it is that we do find it so hard to accept and fully appreciate ourselves in how far we’ve come. Is it because if we do, a part of us is in denial of how we ‘once were’ (when we know we should ordinarily already have been in the (now current) great place?) and so in some way part of us doesn’t want to see, and therefore accept this? Equally, if we do accept and appreciate now, then in not accepting or appreciating, are we then resisting the ‘even more’ that’s to come I wonder? Hmm. Maybe there is responsibility allied with acceptance and appreciation then.

424. Great article, Nicole, so simple and easy to understand. It is is great when we take notice of the ‘little packages’ with which we are presented. I am increasingly finding it easier to not run ‘a hundred miles’ when the package is a truth that is challenging to face as I might of in the past but instead to welcome them more graciously. When I do I discover ‘there is more to it than what I have allowed myself to feel’.

425. Accepting what we have come to, and all the choices that we made that led us to this point, is so beautiful, I usually shed a tear in appreciation of how amazing that is. We are always in the “I’m not there yet” “I’m not good enough” type of attitude, but the truth is, we are amazing right now.

     1. Very beautiful Harry, I agree we are all already amazing right now. I am learning to appreciate this more and more with myself. Thank you for this awesome reminder.

     2. Your gorgeous Harry, it is so true that we can just be caught in half glass empty, this blog and your comment is a welcome shake up and wake up to get back on the appreciation train.

426. Lovely Nicole. Allowing space for ourselves to reflect on a difficult time, opening to to the gift that it is presenting and allowing ourselves to live more love.

427. I agree 100% with this blog. When I drop the “this isn’t fair… why is this happening to me” attitude, I begin to actually see have much learning there is in every moment, day, month and year. Sure, mistakes are made and they aren’t perfect, however the way we learn and develop from those mistakes is a perfect cycle of developing (evolution).

428. “Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?” So many signs I have ignored in the past, but now am much more open to the things that occur. I now view ‘unpleasant’ things as opportunities for me to change and evolve and ‘good’ things – when life events flow miraculously – as a confirmation of where I am at and where I am heading.

429. Nicole, beautifully expressed I could feel the self appreciation you have for yourself. It reminded me of how hard I have found accepting compliments in the past, and looking into why. It is so easy to fall into the trap of not feeling good enough or worthy of the compliment. To accept the appreciation is a very self loving thing to do.

430. Beautiful Nicole. When I see photos of you you shine and you express with such grace and power. It is wonderful to read that you are appreciating the amazing woman you are. I can feel that this appreciation allows you to evolve and let more of your loveliness out.

431. Life presents us with situations to evolve constantly. We may choose to go for it or not. Another thing is what happens to us if we go for them (at least partially). It leads to many changes which at the physical level are obvious for the others. Yet, the truth is that we don’t always stop to appreciate ourselves, or let others appreciate us. This is also a conscious choice we have to make.

432. Many perceive most of life’s events as being an inconvenience instead of an opportunity to feel what we are being shown. So this is truly a great sharing for people to consider, the possibility that these events may be blessings, showing us what areas need to be focused on, or as you said need appreciating or accepting. Awesome.

     1. What you share here Samantha is so true for many experiences I have initially reacted to, resented and resisted in my life have in so many ways actually turned out to be some of my greatest blessings. What a blessing it is to actually realise this.

433. Thank you Nicole. Appreciating and welcoming appreciation is not such an easy task (although is fairly simple). Recently I realised that when people say something to me in appreciation I do not always let this completely in. Since then, I have realised how different it feels when I do let it in.

434. Thank you Nicole. I often don’t stop and appreciate my choices, myself and how far I have come, where I now am. It is a really beautiful and important reminder rather than only focussing on the choices I haven’t made and where I think I should be..

435. Appreciation is a huge subject, especially when appreciating ones choices, life and situations may be considered ‘up yourself’ or ‘big headed’ but those are just ways in which we have adopted playing small. There’s nothing wrong about appreciating ones self – if anything, from experience, there is everything right about appreciating even the little things in life and accepting that I deserve to have them in my life. To playful little moments with my family (of in the past, interactions being frosty) to placing clothes on the radiator, going for a walk, being able to feel my feet and not floating off into a mind that can get me into trouble – there are so many things in life to appreciate!

     1. Great comment Leigh, appreciation is huge for me. I am learning to really appreciate everything in life, from the smallest things to the life changing choices and gifts from God. I was certainly under the illusion in the past that appreciation for myself and expressing that to someone was like being ‘big headed’. Now, I am able to express this with ease because I am learning to share what I feel and not to hold back. When appreciate another person, I also now would express it to them instead of keeping it to myself. By expressing my appreciation for someone else always feels amazing.

436. It is interesting to feel how I find it still quite hard to appreciate myself even though the changes I have made in my life are amazing and I look and feel amazing too! Thank you for sharing Nicole, you inspired me to appreciate everything about me more.

437. What a lovely reminder Nicole, taking a moment to appreciate ourselves and all that we bring and to celebrate this.

438. I’m finding that the appreciation that I have for my development is what is needed to truly accept how much I have developed. What does appreciation look like? It’s more than a fleeting thought of approval. It’s holding dear the loving choices I have made.

439. I too have realised through my connections with Universal Medicine the importance (and joy) and recognising and celebrating all that is around me (and within me)…and not just for me. The person I am becoming then goes out to meet others and support them to realise all that is there for them and within them….and so the wheel continues.

440. Nicole you are so amazing and I know I tell you this every time I see you, I’m sure you can feel it in the way I speak to you. I light up when I see you and love reading all the blogs you write. You inspire me in so many ways and you are an extraordinary woman to have a conversation with and feel like we have really connected. There is so, so, so, SO much for you to appreciate and I love that you are doing this.

441. Nicole, appreciation is something that I always considered was selfish or bigheaded – in the main because of how false I felt my life to be – however thats meant I’ve not accepted or really appreciated the real changes that have occurred. A great remember that even if we think we have appreciated – have we really?

     1. Yes, appreciation of ourselves is a great skill to learn and many of us have had virtually no practice even though there always was a lot to appreciate.

     2. So true David, I am beginning to explore the truth of your words for myself. True appreciation is not something we do in our head. When I truly connect to appreciation, I feel it deeply within my whole body.

442. Thank you Nicole. Acceptance and appreciation – two opportunities that we have all the time to deepen our quality of living.

443. I agree Suzanne, why not shine in order to lead the way for others to start appreciating themselves, instead of playing small and trying to fit in.

444. I loved how you shared that it is not just for others to compliment and appreciate how far you have come but for you to appreciate it for yourself as well. Beautiful!

445. You make a great point here Nicole “Never was I comfortable accepting or appreciating what was said to me, instead choosing to brush them off thinking I was not good enough to accept compliments of any sort.”
     For me it has been more than just not feeling good enough to accept how amazing I am … There was more to it than that particularly here in Australia where to openly acknowledge and appreciate yourself in front of any one or group even when you were given a compliment, you would be instantly cut down to the knees. We have been fooled into thinking we have to keep each other at the same level to be equal when in fact those that shine are leading to way for others to also feel equally amazing, freeing us from a consciousness that cuts us all down to a size that is way smaller than we all naturally are. Tall poppies are divine and we are all equally the same size when we can truly appreciate ourselves and each other.

     1. Great comment Suzanne about the tall poppies, I love the way Nicole reminds us of the importance of self appreciation and self acceptance, something that is so foreign to most due to the fact that any sign of feeling great about yourself invariably gets cut down as you say.
        Getting ‘cut down to the knees’ doesn’t make you equal, it just makes you short!

        1. Love it Jeanette! I am gradually coming to accept I can be a divine tall poppy but have spent a lot of my life merely being short.

     2. I love your comment Suzanne, cutting myself, dulling my light is something that I have done, and something that I really have to be vigilant with myself about. What I have found in doing this is that this is how I also treat others. In making the choice to stop doing this to myself, to instead enjoy me, I find myself relaxing, loving and appreciating myself and others. I now also see so much beauty in our world.

446. Thank you Nicole. The love and appreciation you feel for yourself is deeply felt. How great is it to let go of the need of wanting and expecting the opinion of another to prop you up. To deeply feel your own amazingness and to stop and appreciate this is the truest relationship you can have.

447. This is the leading article for people making themselves dependent on the appreciation expressed by others. What a freeing to step towards self-appreciation! There is very much love expressed in your blog, Nicole.* Very lovely.*

     1. So true Christina – freeing ourselves from the need to have other people’s appreciation of us can only truly happen when we begin to truly appreciate our selves ✨✨

        1. True, Kathryn, giving time and space to truly appreciate ourselves is the art.

448. Thank you Nicole for reminding me that there is lot more going on when we are presented with difficult situations. The challenge is to be able to look deeper in what befalls you without being ‘taken out’ by the occasion.

449. Your blog Nicole is such a lovely reminder to really appreciate moments in our lives that provide opportunities to evolve.
     These moments and constellations are so precious in that they also support us to really appreciate ourselves and others.

450. To stop and really feel the tension, as you are describing Nicole, when it is we who are refusing/resisting to appreciate how amazing we are, can be quite a revealing, and potentially empowering, point, can’t it…
     In true appreciation we are offered – or rather, we offer ourselves – the grace to allow all of the outer impositions and expectations we put upon ourselves, to drop. In true appreciation, the demands of ‘the world’ that would have us ever-expecting ourselves to ‘be more’, simply cannot be.
     Whenever I am finding something a challenge and/or I get hard on myself, appreciation is what I go back to – have I not been truly and deeply appreciating and taking stock of all that I bring to my day, its interactions, dedication, work, play…? Can I deepen in the foundation of this that I hold in myself? Can I just stop, and appreciate the fact that I am aware of so much, and if it’s challenging, well, I may well be learning a heap! I most surely can, and it is something I’ve found to have changed my life beyond measure.

     1. I could have not described it better Victoria. I love the tenderness you are summing everything up and reflecting on in. Beautifully expressed.

        1. Thank-you Steffi. And beautiful to return to this blog and the comment above – a welcome reminder, especially when one has had a day with much learning! I am just so darn amazing… appreciating how delicate and willing we are to commit to all that is in our life, is most surely the key…

     2. “and if it’s challenging, well, I may well be learning a heap!” Love this Victoria and so true. I am learning to see it like this instead of seeing challenging times in life as moments that I have done something wrong.

        1. Absolutely true Lieke. It’s ‘ok’ to learn, to see more – in ourselves and others… Sometimes it’s not easy – and then, we must appreciate our willingness to feel, and that we, and our love, are here on this earth.
           There is so much depth and so much joy for us all to live and bring to life.

     3. Thanks Victoria and Nicole, it’s so easy to get sucked in to all the stuff the world puts upon us every minute, and judge myself lesser for not keeping up – and appreciation is far more powerful antidote than I would have ever believed possible. Firstly because it makes me so aware of the constant self-putdowns I normally run with all the time, and then the put downs become a self-fulfilling prophecy… just as the appreciation allows an expansion and a moving forward and growing and becomes its own confirmation.

        1. So beautifully said Annie. To truly stop and take stock of the sheer weight of expectation to be ‘more’ that we can be placing upon ourselves is a monumental moment in terms of true self regard and a loving relationship with oneself.
           Living under the weight of false expectation also disconnects us from what I now know (by the grace of the work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine) to be the greatest tool for life – being truly present.
           In appreciation we can’t but feel our own being, and ‘be with’ our body. And from there, we are naturally empowered to meet so much that comes to us in life, from the solidity of who we truly are.

        2. Thank you Nicole, Victoria, Steffi, Lieke and Annie, I agree, we bring the future to ourselves when the self-fulfilling prophecy becomes love and appreciation of the love we are in every moment.

     4. Thank you Victoria,
        Every thing you say here resonates deeply for me, especially ‘we offer ourselves – the grace to allow all of the outer impositions and expectations we put on ourselves – to drop’. It is so freeing to feel in this the true grace of appreciation, to greatly appreciate the fact that we even know that these things affect our lives, instead of constantly thinking we are them.

        1. Well said Leighstrack. The fact that we have awareness of that which binds us is the first and key step, to truly shedding the chains of expectation – founded in our own needs for approval and recognition from others – to drop… Such a tangled mess we can, bit by bit, come to realise we’ve kept ourselves in – a ‘mess’ that has reflected nought of our true self and its awesomeness, but rather the direct opposite!

        2. For me too, these words of Victoria’s are deeply meaningful and I can feel the dropping away of any outer imposition as I read them, and a sense of my own being.

451. Agree Thomas, the way Nicole appreciates and accepts herself in full is very powerfull and beautiful to read. Thank you for the reminder Nicole to fully claim the amazingness we are.

452. What an amazing confirmation to write a blog on how far you have come and how much you appreciate your self, wow thank you Nicole, that’s an awesome reflection for me. And how I don’t fully appreciate the changes I have made through the work of Universal Medicine.

453. Without any appreciation I cannot live the love and grandness I am. It is truly that simple, and I am learning we are educated to NOT appreciate when appreciation is a very natural way to live life.

454. I also feel how much life’s challenges are gifts although we may not see them as such at the time. Stopping every now and again when we don’t feel playful and light about life allows us to feel into what is going on and allow ourselves a greater perspective. Everything is there for us to accept and appreciate even if what we are facing is unacceptable and it is for us to stand up and say so with as much love as we can, of course.

455. I agree Nicole, we have many opportunities during the day where we get to learn a little bit more about ourselves. I know I can get caught up in situations and when this happens I can’t see beyond it, it becomes all encompassing or engulfing, more to the point. Appreciating ourselves is so simple and so effective, but I had never been taught how important this is to our well-being and how simple it is to commence.

     1. “Appreciating ourselves is so simple and so effective, but I had never been taught how important this is to our well-being and how simple it is to commence.” So true Jennifer, and words that I need to remind myself of regularly, as I have been a slow learner in the art of self appreciation: but I am learning, and my appreciation of me is growing day by day. And when I get out of my own way, it is very simple.

456. I am becoming aware of how everything that happens in my life is an opportunity to be appreciated. I found in the past,that it was easier to be appreciative of things that were going well for me, but this was not the case with life’s challenges. It is only recently that I have come to accept that when things are not going so smoothly, that I am learning invaluable lessons about me, my lifestyle or life in general, and this is indeed, well worth celebrating.

457. I understand acceptance and appreciation of one self but at times I struggle with this as I find disregard and criticism creeps in. Awareness of when this is happening supports me to stop and reflect as to what this means and then replace this with more love and appreciation for myself. If you can’t appreciate yourself then it is impossibe to appreciate others.

458. Hi Nicole, perfect timing to read your blog, so relevant… I had a very serious and challenging time last week at work. Later and on reflection I saw how steady and calm I was and how I stayed with myself. I could also feel that this situation was not so much about a lesson to be learned, but rather it was showing me how much I had changed and grown and where I was at. In comparsion to the past where I would have lost myself in the emotion and drama. With this powerful reflection came huge appreciation for myself, which was wonderful to stop and feel this.

459. Another timely piece for me as what you express here Nicole is that life presents us with opportunities to see and feel ourselves for where we are at. Sometimes even the most challenging experience (though not always welcome at the time) offers a deeper reflection for us. It’s in beginning to see we have a choice in the way we choose to live and respond to life.

460. It is so easy to run the criticisms and feelings of not being good enough, and it becomes so familiar that we don’t how harmful and crippling these are. I found appreciation very difficult at first, and it has highlighted just how loud the detractors voice can be in its constant undermining. I can also see now how it’s a great way of keeping ourselves small and disempowered even though we can feel miserable and frustrated at the same time. Nicole I love how you see each moment as an opportunity to learn and appreciate the growth and expansion that is on offer, rather than another potential judgement. If we could do that consistently with ourselves and others, how lovely would each day and each interaction become.

     1. Annie C this is a beautiful sharing that I am sure we can in many ways all relate to, thank you.

461. Life gives presents or packages every day. And what I experience is that the situations that seem quite intense and challenging in the moment, are actually the ones that bring so much learning, growing, love and understanding. Nothing happens without a reason and I realize more and more the importance of appreciation. For myself and for all those moments in life where I get the opportunity to be more of me.

462. I do agree, things happen to us or rather are presented to us, as you so beautiful put it, for us to learn and grow, and appreciation I too find is a big part of it. There are so many moments in life where a stop and deep appreciation is called for. Thank you Nicole for stopping and taking a moment to put your appreciation into words.

463. For me it is connected to trust and acceptance as well- that I trust that everything that happens in life has a reason. If I do so, I automatically stop and feel what is needed to be looked at and appreciated.

464. “Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?” This is a great question when those life difficulties come up; to realise that there is something to learn from each situation and to actually appreciate the problem isn’t a problem as is asking you to grow.

465. This is beautiful Nicole. Recently I have felt that I avoid fully appreciating and claiming my strengths in order to avoid having to take responsibility for myself and my choices. When we really claim our loveliness everything else becomes much easier and there is no room for excuses. Thank you for sharing your experience of claiming and appreciating the gorgeous woman you are.

466. In buiding my self-appreciation I had an awareness with a picture that was taken a few weeks ago. When the picture was taken I was very critical about it. Today I was looking at the same picture and really liked what I saw. The look in my eyes was actually beautiful. I realise that the picture has not changed, but the way I looked at me had changed and all because I am appreciating myself more and more.

467. Thank you Nicole for sharing your blog. What if every moment was a sign-post, a do-it-yourself way back to God?

468. I used to be very uncomfortable if someone expressed appreciation of me and would get embarrassed, because I did not have the self worth to accept what I was feeling and hearing. Practising self appreciation for oneself is an ongoing process but well worth the effort.

469. Nicole I have been lucky enough to watch you bring so much more love and harmony into your life and that of your families. You are an inspiration and I am blessed to have you in my life. Thanks for being you, you are stunning.

470. I can really relate to this Nicole, ‘Never was I comfortable accepting or appreciating what was said to me, instead choosing to brush them off thinking I was not good enough to accept compliments of any sort.’ Its great to read this and to feel that this is what I have been doing and how this lack of appreciation and acceptance of myself stops me from growing.

471. I can very much relate to not accepting or appreciating myself. I love that you have taken the time to write it down and allow yourself to begin to accept just how amazing you are. If we start to admit it to ourselves that we are amazing, we can also begin to accept this when other people see it and tell us.

472. Your Blog has been one of those packages for me. As soon as I read – ‘recently someone shared with me how life presents little packages, and these packages are presented to show you, to reflect to you a part of you or your life’, I knew as I read this, I was being offered the opportunity to see my life in a different way, not as a victim but as the ‘Star’, the one Centre stage. I can choose to put the ‘spotlight’ on me and allow myself to shine in all my amazingness or I can go into denial. Each beautiful gift or package invites me to get to know and feel more of who I truly am.

473. This is such a big one…. I used to be like that and it is something that I still have to keep to the fore and remind myself – stop and appreciate what I have changed and keep choosing. After a while these choices become second nature and we forget how seriously amazing they are and they become our normal way. Which is awesome but yes it is important to stop and appreciate which confirms that what you are choosing is seriously amazing. Which deepens those choices and even more loving choices are made. When you make a choice that isn’t – it sticks out like a sore thumb!

     1. Natalie, thank you for your words, that’s huge to know that those unloving choices stick out like a sore thumb and that in itself is a confirmation of how much has changed. I now see that, and rather than beat myself up about them, I can stop and know that my more loving choices have allowed me to see them – love begets more love and of course anything that’s not love stands out even more.

474. Nicole, your blog stopped me; to ask myself the question, ‘do I accept how far I’ve come and where I am now, or might I still be trying to live in an old way, and is that why it feels uncomfortable’? Yes and yes, and this reminded me that I can choose in this moment to see where I truly am and not waste time recreating a past I’ve moved away from.

     1. Huge words of wisdom Monica, thanks for sharing them, and in particular where you say, I can choose in this moment to see where I truly am and not waste time recreating a past I’ve moved away from.
        Love it.

475. To appreciate myself, to take in what others express about how far I have come and to really feel that what feels so natural to me is truly awesome is a process in itself. But when I do confirm this awesomeness, I can feel that there is much more to accept and to live.

476. Thank you Nicole for the gentle reminder to really appreciate and to fully claim the fact that the way my life is now is nothing short of a miracle, when I look back to where I had been, which was a place called planet ‘destructo’ in a galaxy far far away.

477. When I was reading your blog it occurred to me how we “teach” our children to respond to a compliment by saying thank you, because that is right and polite thing to do. Some people may dismiss the compliment in a self demeaning way in an attempt to practise humility. But the more common practise is to be proud and say thank you. Either of those responses is not stopping and really accepting what is being said. Is it possible that we effectively teach our kids to hear but dismiss the compliments that they receive, never truly accepting it or owning it. Which can potentially create an interesting cycle of being reliant on a source outside of ourselves to feel good about yourself. Which ultimately leads to not knowing how to truly accept a compliment.

478. Thank you Nicole, a very beautiful sharing. It is interesting how we hold back from owning up and confirming how awesome we are when we are being truly awesome and yet how proud we can be of stuff we do that is not awesome at all!!!

479. Yes, Nicole, life always presents us with opportunities to accept and appreciate. I am now learning to look at everything as being not a problem or an issue, but rather an opportunity for me to look deeper – what is it telling me about me, about life? Then I can accept and appreciate things even though they might not be so great as they should or could. And truly – is there any ‘should’ or ‘could’, or is that just pure illusion? Life is life.

480. Thanks Nicole for reminding us of how important it is to incorporate appreciation into our day. It is key to deepening and developing self love and regard, qualities that are indeed true medicine.

481. I also have not accepted and appreciated myself, most of my life. Really to see things that unfolded as gems for which to learn and grow from. I did somewhat, but always was so incredibly self critical in the process, very little love for myself. So when I get compliments or someone showing appreciation, I am unsure how to deal with it. Especially as I have not been used to appreciating myself. This has turned around over the past few years, bit by bit, but it is still a daily reminder to myself to appreciate my strengths, live my life looking and feeling myself from and through that lens and not from my weaknesses. This allows me to feel that appreciation more readily than just hoping it will be there by chance.

482. Thank you Nicole; for the reminder to regularly take stock of where we have been, and how far we have come. Each life package that is presented to us is a gift to be appreciated, no matter what form it comes in.

     1. Well said ingridward15, intermittently stopping to take stock of where we have been and how far we have come is vital for our growth and ongoing development.

483. A great reminder Nicole of how far we have come. If we hadn’t stopped and listened we would not be where we are today. We are offered so many opportunities to evolve. I appreciate what has been presented by Serge Benhayon and I appreciate myself for allowing myself to shine.

484. Just today someone told me how amazing something was that I had done and I found myself wanting to correct them – like it might have been good but not amazing. This blog reminds me to allow others their thoughts and feelings and to not react with a judgement and to fully appreciate myself.

485. Nicole, I am particularly drawn to your words ‘I now see these opportunities as blessings that help me see what needs to be looked at in my life, or simply what needs to be accepted and appreciated.’. This a huge area of development for me as I learn to unhook myself from emotional expectations and reactions and instead focus on accepting myself for who I am and where I am at and fully appreciating myself moment by moment. Impatience gets in the way but thanks to the ever steady support of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I know I am definitely on track.

486. I have had the feeling many times that there is more acceptance and appreciation to be done for myself, and reading your blog has reminded me of that fact, that although we appreciate ourselves, it might not be fully and there is more, deeper and greater level of acceptance for us to do.

487. Learning to feel into what those little everyday events that occur are showing me and not to take them as a criticism of me but a gentle reminder of how much more potential I have is fascinating. Appreciation of myself has been and is a slow but steady change in the way I am with myself.

488. Appreciating ourselves and each other is so vitally important but as your reminded us Nicole we do not do it often enough.

489. Thanks Nicole, I love how you share that you yourself had to appreciate and claim how far you’ve come – this is such a beautiful reminder for everyone, don’t rely or wait for others to appreciate you – appreciate yourself!

490. Appreciation is something relatively new for me; my steps towards it are fairly tentative and inconsistent, and yet oh my goodness, they have still shown me the instant supercharged power of me simply appreciating me and what is around me. I am starting to know the power of appreciation to change how I see things and how I feel, in a good way. Interesting, because all of my life the message that seems to have been ‘out there’ is that it is wrong to focus on what we have done well, that it is the ‘done thing’ to put ourselves down. Now that I am starting to appreciate the power of appreciation I see how deeply harmful this is.

491. I too struggled to accept and appreciate any kind of attention that was shared to me, but since deepening my relationship with myself by the enormous support of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I can openly hear a beautiful appreciation towards me and feel it is worth and value because I know the way I am choosing to be in connection with all of me is what they are seeing. From here I know my beauty is worth every second of appreciation which I too have for myself and keep deepening as I can feel there are many layers there to work with. The deeper I connect the deeper the appreciation.

     1. “The deeper I connect the deeper the appreciation.” Something I am needing to appreciate here I can feel 🙂 as I am still sometimes not allowing that deepening to truly deepen so that there is more appreciation. It’s a “what goes around comes around” thing that is truly beautiful and supportive when I allow it. Yes it is an ever evolving process, not something that just happens and then it’s over; many layers to work with as you say, which actually makes it quite a beautiful unfolding, in itself something to truly appreciate. Lovely, thanks Natalie.

492. This is a very timely reminder, ‘Life is continually presenting so much to us. Do we ever truly stop to feel what we are really being shown?’ I have been caught up in the drama and issues of life recently, taking things personally and not seeing that there is a reason that these events are happening and that they are an opportunity to learn, thank you Nicole.

493. Thank you Nicole for the great reminder for us for stop and feel what life is presenting to us: be that something that is to appreciate, or to consider that something is no longer working for us!

494. I am sill learning Appreciation is a valuable part of my day when moments can be filled with appreciation rather than other thoughts that can take over. Thank you for the reminder, Nicole.

495. Appreciation of myself has been a big hurdle for me too and I’m not sure that I have quite mastered this yet. I have always shied away from any compliment thrown my way and would make light of it, look the other way, change the subject or brush the comment off. It is time to truly appreciate me.

496. To appreciate things that happen in life – good or bad – is relatively easy for me. But to appreciate myself, appreciate where I am at – that’s a little different. Acknowledging it, yes, I can clock and stock take no problem; but appreciation – for me it feels to be a heady experience, and is something I could go deeper with in my whole body.

497. A beautiful observation and I can feel an aliveness and vitality in your writing. This just happened to me today: I met someone I knew and had a chat with them and afterwards I could feel loads of old ideals, beliefs and behaviours I was holding onto about relationships, so it was an opportunity for a healing. Also when I read your comment “I was not good enough to accept compliments of any sort” it made me remember many times when I have complimented different women – on how they look or say that what they are wearing is lovely and a lot of women are unable to accept the compliment and try to shrug it off saying something like “oh this old thing”. So being able to appreciate and accept ourselves and how far we have come is huge.

498. Reading your post Nicole I realise just how much more I could be appreciating, I remember someone sharing how in each spare moment instead of going into dramas and issues they would appreciate things. It’s a fitting reminder as there is indeed much to appreciate. Yet the time I spend appreciating is a fraction of that I spend doing other things. Thank you and I certainly appreciate taking the time for myself to read your blog!

499. It is very important to stop and appreciate where we are truly at. When I find I am struggling with some life event or I have gone into overwhelm, I often stop and appreciate just how far I have come in the past few years. I then resume what I was doing, and can see that the source of my struggle or overwhelm, as a gift that life is presenting to me. Also it is a beautiful gift of love to ourselves when we appreciate where we are at.

500. I have always felt that things happen for a reason – to show us something. Every time something did happen to me, I could really see how this was to show me more than just what had happened but to look at the situation as a whole. Universal Medicine only confirmed this for me – And now I really do consider what happens to me as ‘a gift’ and something to learn from. How beautiful is that!

     1. I too always new within myself that things happens for a reason, when we stop to feel into this it often becomes very clear. So for it has shown me yo trust my feelings and become more aware what is going on and what energy is playing out.

        1. Absolutely Amita – I am really enjoying trusting how I feel and seeing how true that is. The more I allow this, the more this feeling is offered to me and the clearer it is to see what is really going on.

501. Beautiful Nicole, ‘Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?’ This is great for me to ponder on, I can feel that everything happens for a reason and it’s great to be reminded of this and to take responsibility for what happens in my life and see this as an opportunity to learn and evolve.

502. Nicole it is lovely to read this as it feels like it gives everyone the opportunity to appreciate and accept themselves just that little bit more and that can make all the difference – appreciate, appreciate, appreciate you are enough, just as you are.

503. This is lovely Nicole. It explains so well that when ‘packages’ occur, we can see them as reflections, an opportunity to make changes to improve our life rather than ignoring or blaming someone or something for them. The Way of the Livingness is a living way for us to learn this, to take responsibility for choices and make the changes, what we can call evolution.

504. I have been put on notice of this again recently. Everything is a gift if we could but see it that way.

505. A lovely reminder for us to stop and appreciate. The world does not do this enough. It is a simple act that is very supportive but we don’t really want to acknowledge just how amazing we are sometimes. As I start to accept that this is a game that keeps me small, I can start to appreciate more of me and of others because it is a simple act of love, and not of ego.

506. Awesome Nicole – I can completely say that there have been times, good and bad, in my life that i have brushed aside, either unwilling to accept and appreciate something, or not wanting to look at what might not be working. Thank you for sharing your blog.

507. There are many of us making much more loving choices and thus looking and feeling great. I feel that it is our responsibility to accept it because we have turned the tide and by claiming it we can share with others that they can do it too.

508. Recently I have found that these compliments which people share with me, can often rise up in my mind and just for that moment they are like a gift handed to me and they make me stop and say yes, that is true, I am amazing.

509. Thank you Nicole and I appreciate you for writing and sharing this blog with us as it is a timely reminder once again for me to take stock and deeply appreciate how far I have come, thanks to the life and work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.
     My issue up until recently was that I would ‘dismiss’ all the hard work and effort I have made to change my life and inspire others through my work. It really is incredible how much I have changed so far and the daily choices I make that support me, which then allows me to support others.

     Being dismissive left no room for accepting the great woman that I am and I had to slowly start to really appreciate me and the small things which is now a daily practice for me. I take time to appreciate how opportunities are presented to me to learn and it’s not a bad thing if I am challenged as there is something here for me. I am a work in progress in the appreciation and acceptance department, but I have come a long way and I realise it is needed if I am to truly evolve in life.

510. So true Nicole. I can hear a compliment but not really appreciate for myself what is being felt by others in the changes I am making in the way I live. Time to start complimenting myself on the choices I make and how gorgeous this feels.

511. Wow, this is a great blog and is a gift in itself to stop and appreciate how far I have come and an opportunity to see how much there is to unfold. With the inspiration and support of Universal Medicine and how I choose to live, I know this is possible. Thank for Nicole, I love what you share through your writings!

512. Nicole, today reading your blog again I got to feel and see how I’ve changed even since I last read and commented here. Reading it again I see that life is not just about things to look at, but also things to accept and appreciate, and I can feel how touched I am reading this today and how I can accept and appreciate more deeply what you have shared, and accept myself in that appreciation. Thank you.

513. Reading your blog Nicole has brought me to a stop – to appreciate. So much of the time can be spent looking at what’s not right and whilst we need to be open to seeing what is not working, I can feel in my own life, through the love and support from Universal Medicine, Serge Benhayon, Universal Medicine practitioners and the changes that I have made as a result that there is a lot to appreciate in my life now – which was not the same ten years ago.

514. Yes, a beautiful reminder to stop and appreciate our lives and all of those around us. Thank you.

515. I am becoming more aware of my reluctance to accept compliments and when this happens,how much my body hardens, and, not least, the effect on the person expressing appreciation…..A great article Nicole, thank you

516. Thank you Nicole. I hadn’t realised how much I haven’t appreciated how far I’ve come. Sometimes I am able to accept compliments, but this is not nearly enough, and I can feel quite embarrassed when attention is focussed on me in an appreciative way.

517. Lovely to read your blog Nicole.I also feel that the more I appreciate myself the more I can appreciate others. There is so much to appreciate in life, and not only when things are going well.There are “silver linings” in every situation in life.I appreciate that I can feel for those too.

518. Thanks again Nicole, on rereading your blog I realised that for me it was because of self worth issues that I wasn’t able to accept a compliment with grace. I can only move forward from here.

519. Great sharing Nicole. Thank you. Stopping to ponder and feel into what situations and experiences life offers brings such magic. I have been feeling the beauty of this more and more, and seemingly upsetting or even at times distressing experiences, as we know, bring the most profound learning and growth. Being open to life and all that it constellates brings a spectrum of appreciation and colour to life.

520. Great to re-read this blog as a reminder to stop and appreciate everything that we are and have been blessed with. As others have shared, it is not about constantly looking at what is wrong or still needs work, because that all gets taken care of when we start to appreciate how much love there is in our lives, and take that out into the world.

521. Beautiful Nicole, you speak for many, many people who have also made huge changes in their lives due to attending and being attentive to the work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, myself included. It is such a valid and beautiful moment when we can stand and accept the love and appreciation from another, allow it in and feel the truth and appreciate ourselves for making choices in our lives that reflect true vitality to others. In a world where most of our reflections in society are ones of ill health, abuse, disease, stress and exhaustion, to be reflecting health and vitality is a precious thing. It shows everyone there is another way to live life. Thank you for sharing and appreciating yourself, you are definitely worth it.

522. Nicole such a beautiful reminder to bring appreciation into our daily lives.

     Thank you

523. Nicole, the timing of ” life’s little packages ” can be quite impressive sometimes.
     Upon leaving a restaurant after a marvellous evening with Maryline, at the very beginning of our relationship many years ago, the quiet, still , evening air,
     was shattered by a highly colourful firework display which commenced the second
     we stepped outside! We laughed because it seemed so exclusively for us at that moment. The sort of moment, if shown in a film, would be dismissed as sheer
     Hollywood!

524. I love what you’ve said here Nicole and can relate to it very much, thank you. Certainly one to come back and re-read.

525. Hi Nicole, this sounds very much like my story. I too was part of a ‘before and after’ presentation at a Universal Medicine event and it is only reading your blog that I realised I still haven’t appreciated how huge this is. The changes I have made in my life are immense and I thank you for inspiring me to value and appreciate myself for how far I have come.

526. Nicole, your article has a definite resonance to it. I think it is hard to appreciate
     the significance of a moment which presents itself, often, until well after the event.
     Then some time later, during a moment of reflection, you think, ‘so that’s what all that
     was about’!

527. Thank you Nicole, what you have written in this article really resonates with me, particularly “Never was I comfortable accepting or appreciating what was said to me, instead choosing to brush them off thinking I was not good enough to accept compliments of any sort.” I am slowly learning to appreciate myself just for being me and the more I appreciate me, the more there is to appreciate about me and everyone else.

528. Your question Nicole re: whether there is more to certain situations, is spot on! I can feel that in applying this to recent events in my life there is a seed of liberation – in what could be seen as a catastrophe feels like it is bringing me closer to who I really am, but only through accepting that the choices I was making have been very unwise and resolving to not make the same choices.

529. Nicole, thank you for this reminder to appreciate myself and everything else, too. Just the simple act of appreciating changes everything, I find. And when I am not appreciating the whole word seems a little greyer.

530. Thank you Nicole. Until recently I hadn’t really appreciated compliments of myself, due to feelings of lack of self-worth. I am finding to appreciate is so important and reading your article, I feel a real surge of appreciation which is uplifting.

531. Hi Nicole, thanks for this blog I know sometimes I positively squirm when I receive appreciation as I do not know how to handle it and your blog really brought it home to me how I often push it aside! Thank you, time to feel that and accept the appreciation!

532. Accepting a compliment is a great reminder of the beautiful beings that we are. I fully appreciate it because I am worth that compliment and because it is true. Thank you Nicole for such a great blog.

533. Awesome Nicole. A great reminder of the power of appreciation. I relate well to what you say and now catch myself if I brush off a compliment. It is so beautiful to accept a compliment and as you say to appreciate this about ourselves and the choices we have made.

534. Have you ever had life present a situation to you where you never bothered to stop and consider that maybe there is more to it than what you have allowed yourself to feel?

     I’m going to keep rereading this piece – it’s so poignant to me. Each time a different sentence or paragraph pops out at me – today it’s this one! Yes, is the answer, its so easy to stay on the treadmill and not get off to appreciate how far you’ve actually come or where you have been. Or equally to not stop and feel the severity of the situation and it’s consequences. Either way, it shows the importance and power behind appreciating each moment for what it is and fully feeling the length and breadth of it!

     1. Funny you should say that because I’ve been struggling with that very example! You just dropped a little drip of heaven right before me. Thank you.

535. Thank you for sharing this blog, it’s perfect timing for me as I am working on my acceptance. I have been so good at getting on with things and resolving problems, but never stopped to really appreciate how far I have come and all the changes I have made in my life. How these loving choices have not only supported me but also reflected to others around me. I had forgotten to appreciate every small thing.

536. This is so true. More often than not I feel and look at the areas that need work, this is a great trait and I will never stop. However in doing this I often fail to appreciate where I am and the beauty that surrounds me in all that I am in this moment. We are all beautiful and deserve to stop and feel this.

537. Nicole, I love this blog and it’s so opportune as I’d been feeling how much I’d changed but not always appreciating the power of that and me for making those choices. Your blog really struck me, especially when you talk about accepting yourself as you are now. That stopped me and I realised that’s not something I always do and right now as I write I feel the possibilities of just accepting where I am at now, and the huge appreciation and freedom in that, thank you.

538. Hi Nicole, another inspiring blog – thank you. Accepting and appreciating are two great things to keep coming back to because otherwise, as you so rightly say, we can miss out on the truth of how amazing we are… and the enjoyment of it.

539. It’s also amazing how hard we can find accepting compliments, that this compliment is merely a confirmation of what we reflect out coming back to us – as you say an amazing opportunity to accept, appreciate, claim and celebrate! the huge or small changes we have made.

     1. I agree Gyl – it’s soo easy to brush compliments off, or dress them down instead of standing there and accepting them for what they are, and in doing so appreciating ourselves, who we are and the choices we have made more fully.

540. Nicole I love this, thank you for sharing, all too often we can be hard or tough on ourselves; not feeling we are enough or simply not allowing ourselves to stop and appreciate really how far we have come with the amazing changes in our lives. Then along come some awesome reflections, moments and people to offer us an opportunity to stop and reflect, to realise, appreciate and accept the awesome changes we have made and the love that we reflect – with absolute love and appreciation for all you have shared and for Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.

     1. I can completely relate to what you shared, spot on.

     2. Agree Gyl, I am learning that no matter how much appreciation we have from others, if we do not appreciate ourselves (and instead give ourselves a hard time) as well, it does not change how we feel. I am learning slowly to appreciate myself everyday.

541. Thankyou Nicole for your great article. A standout line for me was ‘Of course I knew I had changed, but I still had not accepted myself as I am now, or how I now allow myself to be me’.

542. It is so easy to dismiss life’s little gifts and messages and not stop to truly appreciate them. I used to dismiss compliments, as if they were never said or maybe I didn’t hear correctly but I can now feel that can be hurtful and dismissive to the person who has been willing to be open and say what they are feeling. Through Universal Medicine I am beginning to truly appreciate me, and that has helped me to truly appreciate life and all its little ‘packages’. Very much appreciated Nicole.

     1. Well said Alison – it is all too easy to dismiss all the gifts and messages we are constantly being given. Universal Medicine has helped me too to re-claim who I am and appreciate what I can and do bring.

543. Thank you for this blog, a great reminder to just stop for a moment and consider and appreciate the fact that I can and have made positive choices in my life. The fact that I DO receive compliments is a sign that I am not ‘bad’ or ‘unworthy’ as my mind likes to only focus on when I allow it to. This is something I am learning to accept more and more.

544. I really appreciate your post too Nicole, I too, thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine have come a long way but I have a way to go to fully appreciate it and be able to accept a compliment.

545. Nicole, really love your article and it is soooo true – it’s about learning to appreciate ourselves and what we choose.

546. Thanks Nicole… I am just sitting here appreciating how exposing this blog is for me! It’s time for me to appreciate me and how far I have come in the last 4 years!

547. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic. I think I am presented with situations like this often. I try to be as genuine as possible when I interact with people, no matter where I am or who I’m talking to, but sometimes I get a bit side-tracked. My mind is elsewhere and I am not totally present. When this happens I sort of go through the motions of talking to people, even when I am facilitating a group of people. I seem to set my emotions aside during those moments and choose not to fully reflect on what is going on in the present moment until later. I am currently pregnant and I think lately hormones might have a bit to do with it… but ultimately I do think it would be healthy for me to stop and appreciate what I am doing, who I am and where I’ve taken myself in this lifetime. Thank you again and congratulations on the baby! Namaste, Kaycie.

548. Awesome Nicole!

549. Thank you Nicole… I really ‘appreciate’ your post! I’ve received compliments throughout my life and previously felt embarrassed and awkward about how to respond – probably due to not feeling worthy of them. But now… bring them on!

     I’ve also found that taking time out to appreciate is indeed an uplifting experience, whether it’s appreciation for myself, my life, my relationships or nature and humanity.

     1. I love stopping and appreciating all that’s around me Rod, from nature, relationships, just feeling blessed, to loving life, people I meet and observe, to humanity and much more. It can be found in the tiniest of little moments such as appreciating an awesome lunch we’ve made, to how we have been in a situation as in choosing a different way, simply appreciating how we have been with ourselves and others that day, or appreciating another in the reflection they share, the changes they have made or their commitment to serving humanity.

     2. Me too Rod! Thank you Nicole for sharing and inspiring me to reflect as well. It is amazing how simply appreciating ourselves, confirms where we are and creates the space to be more open and loving. It also puts a stop to ill momentums/patterns or thoughts which we may be carrying from the past, that may be stopping us fully expressing.

     3. Very true Rod. Thats exactly how I used to feel when receiving a compliment. A part of me liked the recognition but because of my lack of self worth, a part of me always felt uncomfortable. Now, because I have more appreciation for myself and others, the compliments are very welcome and greatly received.

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