I was listening to an Ekhart Tolle presentation while driving into work today, and he mentioned that nature truly comes into its own when appreciated by man. It brought to mind the old adage, “When a tree falls in the woods and no one is near, does it make a sound?” Of course, we know via the law of physics that it makes a sound, but the point is that the sound has no meaning unless it’s heard. And when walking in nature, it’s interesting to start paying attention to what you see. The trees and bushes and rocks were there before you started walking, and will remain there for eons. However, when you notice them, they take on a unique beauty that is awe-inspiring. Your attention and appreciation gives them a special meaning at that moment that they didn’t have before. I like to think that your appreciation reflects back to you, and you assume an importance in nature that you didn’t have before. It is an incredible symbiotic relationship.

There is an old zen story of a master musician whose best friend would sit by him for hours, listening and appreciating his music. The friend would tell the master of the images the master’s music evoked, and let him know how much he loved the master’s music. One day the friend died, and the master put away his instrument, never to play again. He said that his music was great only because of his friend’s appreciation of it.
All this brings me to the thought that when we appreciate others, we make them great. People shine when we put our attention to them, become aware of their value and let them know that we see their greatness. And, like the symbiotic relationship with nature, the appreciation is returned. The relationship becomes something great, even if it is a chance encounter between two strangers. What richness we can impart when we give appreciative attention to those we encounter throughout the day! It takes but a moment’s awareness to silence our constantly chattering and judging mind, and to pay total attention to the other person, letting them know they matter to us. The return on this investment of attention is truly amazing.

Appreciate nature to experience it’s special qualities. Likewise, appreciate those you come in contact with to experience their uniqueness. Each appreciation will return the gifts of awareness, learning and beauty.