Acknowledgement

At the core of our being
Is the need to be
Acknowledged
And appreciated
For who we are
And what we contribute.
We thirst for this
Above all else,
Yet we have a peculiar ability
To negate any praise
Which comes our way,
By either diminishing
The complement received
As being insignificant,
Or devaluing the sender
As being insincere, phony
Or unqualified
To recognize
What we have accomplished.
One of the paradoxes of life
Is that we lack the capacity
To receive
That which we crave
Until we learn to
Acknowledge
And appreciate others.
The more we acknowledge
The greatness in others,
The more capacity we have
To recognize and accept
The greatness within ourselves.
The key to our fulfillment
Lies in our ability to elevate others,
To give them that
Which we seek ourselves,
The ultimate “Golden Rule.”
The amazing thing is
How full the world is
Of the acknowledgment we desire
If we just understand that rule.