A One Word Swap That Will Change Your Relationships Instantly

A huge part of relationships is your ability to make people feel appreciated and want to be around you. Think of your favorite people. They’re most likely your favorite people because you enjoy how they make you feel. You want to spend time with them and be around them.
 
Imagine if by switching one word you could make a huge difference in your ability to make others feel valued and appreciated. Not just people in your circle, but strangers and people that you meet.

Typically, when someone does you a favor or does something nice you respond by saying, “I appreciate it.” This response comes after someone invites you out for the night, asks you to be on their podcast, picks up the last item on your grocery list, etc.
 
Well, next time someone does something for you, instead of saying “I appreciate it,” say “I appreciate you.”
 
The subtle difference of replacing “it” with “you” makes all the difference.
 
Switching “it” with “you” takes the response from a generalization of a thing to a personal touch about the most important person in the world, YOU.
 
You might not realize it at first but not only does it make someone feel good, it is contagious. I started saying it a while back and I’ve noticed many of my friends say it on a regular basis.
 
We are always looking for tricks and tips to help us advance our careers or improve our businesses, but it doesn’t always take a massive change. This little changes puts the focus on your appreciate of someone versus something they did. When you value people at a human level, they tend to respond positively.
 
If you are skeptical about how this could make a difference, ask the person closest to you (in proximity) at the office, in your house, or wherever you are to tell you two things – “I appreciate it,” and “I appreciate you.” Tell me which one makes you feel better.
 
Now imagine someone says this unprompted. BOOM! You just made someone’s day and they just made yours. One simple word change can significantly increase your ability to develop a relationship with someone simply by making the other person feel more valued.
 
So in response to reading this, I could say I appreciate it but instead I think I’ll say, I APPRECIATE YOU! Thank you for being on this journey with me <3
 
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Jake Kelfer is the bestselling author of Elevate Beyond and a lifestyle entrepreneur. He is the founder of the Professional Basketball Combine which features NBA draft prospects in a secondary draft combine. As a high energy inspirational speaker, he is on a mission to elevate and motivate millions of people to achieve their definition of success. He and his work have been featured on Forbes, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, NBC Sports, USA Today, Bleacher Report, and many other major media outlets. Connect with Jake on social @jakekelfer!
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