How APPRECIATION LITERALLY SAVED Lives
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Audio Transcript:
The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated, as is quoted or misquoted or whatever, for Mark Twain. This is flourishing with Alex Redmond, and we're back. It's been a minute or two since we had our last, episode. And really, as we closed out season one, I took some time and needed some time to do lots of things.
And I want to talk about those things we got. We got a lot to share the the ups and downs, the wins, the learns, the everything in between. And I'm looking forward to sharing it to you here in season two. And just a reminder or if you're if you're if you're new here, the things I share with you are absolute genuine.
You know, they're real. They're my experiences. It's not a prescriptive podcast. I'm going to tell you exactly how they, you know, follow these five steps or whatever. I, you know, I just don't have the I don't have the experience for that. And I don't think anybody really does. You've got to captain your ship and you got to live your life.
But but I'm here as a as a founder, a father and a friend to share with you my journey. And if it's valuable to you. And again, my journey is is a flourish, my dream and flourish. I'm looking to flourish. And for those around me to encourage those to flourish. And that's where we are. So that's the podcast.
And starting off in season two, the timing of that with Thanksgiving right here is perfect. I want to talk about appreciation. I just want to kick it off right there and open up. And I want to tell you a story, and it's a story I really wasn't I haven't told it publicly a bunch and really at all until about a few.
It's maybe a couple months ago, I was in a group that I want to talk to you guys about. We'll get there with that. But I when I shared it, it was just I was pulled. We were talking about appreciation and it just was it was just, you know, just pulled out of my chest is like, all right, I got to share it with this guy, and I, he's an author who in a well, you know, just just a wealth of information around how appreciation works in society and just so many other things.
Just a real fascinating, individual. And as I shared it, he said, you got you got to tell it everywhere you go. You share that it's powerful. And so here we are, season two, kicking it off. And I want to set the stage. So. So I, this is back in 2003, probably mid mid year. I don't exactly when I could do the research on.
But that that matters less to know what does matter is that I'm in war torn Iraq and there we are in the middle of the the Iraq War. We had many missions throughout our time there, but this was a mission to secure a food distribution center. So where for folks who were displaced in war, they don't have access to to quality food or consistent food or whatever.
There was food distribution, and we were there to guard that and regard it well. You know, in any situation, there are factions who want that food or want whatever, because it's control. It's what you know. So you can't warlords basically. And so you have to be there. So that way the food can get to the individuals who need it.
And so there's a process. And that process sometimes needs security. Certainly in a country in developed in war at the time. Now you know, and look the politics of war and all that kind of stuff, that's not what this is about. So if we want to have that conversation, we have it later. This is a conversation, about about humans in, in a human situation.
And so let me said state. So here we are. There's, there's, there's basically you can see it as a, you know, there's some a line of soldiers with, with weapons ready to, to guard behind them is, food distribution. So there's, there's food, there's people ready to kind of account for that and make sure it's handed off in an orderly fashion.
And on the in front of us, there are a line of folks who are there to, to receive that food. So citizenry of Iraq, whether they were Bedouins displaced by the Iraq-Iran War or whether they were, you know, whatever they were, they're ready to receive that food. Now, there's a couple other factions involved. One of them was, you know, the aforementioned warlords, the people who don't want this to go well.
They want control. They want us out of there. They want they want to able to control that food and have their power and all that. And so they're they're agitating the situation and not it's not like they have a flag saying, hey, we're agitators here, but they're doing it right. They've got people in in amongst the crowd. They've done some things previously.
They may be posted up, you know, shortly in distance, be ready to take some shots. I mean there's, there's, there's this a war. So there's things going on. But behind us and look right off the bat no offense to anybody who's military police. You know you guys probably fantastic. And you did a great job. The guys are with us that day.
They were itching for a fight. They were basically agitators themselves. And so you had you had kind of two, two lines of people that were that, you know, we were there to guard the ones in front of us, were there to get the food. Then you had to factions that were agitating and not equal. But whatever they were, they were agitating the situation.
And this thing started getting really hot, started heating up. And I mean, imagine if you've not been in a situation like that, imagine a like a movie you watch or something where there's a a line of protesters or people pushing against the, the railings. Or maybe you've seen that in real life, you've been a part of whatever. But it was some of that.
It was, it was, it was just it was going it was beginning to get kind of bubbly and frothy and frenetic. And it was it was becoming really challenging. And as I looked left and right, the guys next to me and as what we were doing and I, I saw kind of the crowd bump in next to the guy that was next to me, and he lowered his weapon and they they backed away and I thought, oh my God, this is going to become violent.
This people are going to die. And and I really started feeling it deeply. And I was struggling and I was saying, what can I do? What other than shoot people, what can I do? And I didn't want to shoot, oh my God, are you kidding me? I don't want any of that. So here I am. I don't know what to do.
I don't seem to be able to do anything. I see agitation behind me. They're up on their toes. They're ready. They're ready to go. And you know, I see in front I see the the anger, the fear, the frustration, the heat. You know, everything's just kind of rallying. It's just getting really frothy and, in a moment, one phrase came to me and I just said it and it was shock.
"shkraan jzylaan". And I said it not, not under my breath, but I said it like 2 to 1 guy that was across from me, "shkraan jzylaan" and, and and what that is for those of you that's a hillbilly pronunciation of, of Arabic, which is thank you very much. And I knew other phrases, but that was the only one that came to mind right in that moment.
Right. And it just came out. And what was I thanking him for? I was there's so many things. I'm thanking them for the situation that that food was here to feed them, thanking them for that. But but this was pretty much a thank you in advance, you know, thank you for not for not letting this blow up into something big.
And I just I was sending that out there with my voice, but more so sitting that out there with my heart. And I was just praying, hoping to God that this. Thank you. Thank you very much for not making this deadly. Thank you very much for not for this not getting out of hand. So, so as I said, it again "shkraan jzylaan" and I start looking around.
I go to my left. Am I right? And I'm shock. "shkraan jzylaan", "shkraan jzylaan", "shkraan jzylaan" and I'm saying it with with intensity. And I'm feeling it every, every bit of my body is, is conjuring up and going out of my mouth. Thank you very much in Arabic. And, and as I'm saying it, people start paying attention.
And at first couple of guys just start kind of mocking me. So right. To see you look at this hillbilly idiot, right? I mean, I'm sure that's what they're thinking. And I get it, I get it. It's it's exactly what it was. But, but, but as a as it kind of they repeated it a couple times and then a guy across me genuinely repeated it.
"shkraan jzylaan". He was thanking me and I was thanking him. And so so that was there. They get each other and I keep saying it and I'm saying and I'm feeling it from, from my get every part of my body is releasing. Thank you very much. And, and folks kind of started saying it with me. And so there was almost a kind of a chorus of shock.
"shkraan jzylaan" across the crowd. And it kind of grew a little bit. And, and then some folks just kind of started laughing, but but not in a mocking way, but in a, a casual way, in a calm way, in a fun way. And it was all of a sudden the air just kind of pulled out of the bubble, you know, things just kind of started to settle.
The blister just kind of let down, and all of a sudden we were in a different situation and there were smiles and there were, you know, the kind of look at this guy, some guys walking away that were agitating and it just settled the dust, settled the the people did not die that day because of appreciation. Now again, I share that story.
Not that's not it's not a prop me up or anybody up or put anybody down. It's just a show. Here's a really stark example where appreciation was powerful. Appreciation saved lives that day that could have easily went a whole nother way. And people could have died. And they didn't. They didn't because because of appreciation, I'm stretched. I know there's a lot going on.
There's all kinds of things in there that could have ended lots of different ways. And appreciation in that. That context is different than the way that maybe we see it normally mean. And I hope, I pray you never are in a situation like that. But I assure you, it stuck with me for the rest of my life and still and I think about it often and, and it has shown me that appreciation is absolutely a superpower.
And I've talked about that before. Gratitude. Appreciate those things. It's just it's something. And so we talk a lot in society about tolerance. We're going to tolerate you look different than me or you believe different than me. Or you maybe have a different sexual partner or religion or whatever, whatever the things are. Right? You know, you do a different sports team, whatever.
I'm gonna tolerate you. Yeah. Tolerance is cool, I guess. But, you know, I don't, I don't know, think about that. Think about your kids. What if you just tolerated them? I know there are moments. Yeah, there there are moments. I get it, but. But really, you just want to tolerate them. Do they want to be tolerated? Does that feel good to growing up being tolerated?
I know many of us maybe were more situations and not but appreciated right now. Appreciating that's that's different. That's different. You know, when you, when you're invited somewhere, or you show up somewhere and they say, yeah, come on, and we'll tolerate you, it's fine. Hang around for a little while. We'll tolerate you. Man, I'm glad you're here.
I appreciate you coming. Right. It's just different, and we know that. But I don't think we catch it sometimes in our behavior as a society. And so there's, you do look at things going on at the national level. My gosh, man, what a circus. I can't even to can't even. But, you know, like, everybody's just ready to put each other down.
Let's just, let's just crank on each other and let's, let's bludgeon one another with, with absolute angst and hatred and whatever. Where is that going to get us? I don't know, I mean, I know there are times to pick up the ax and fight. I get it, grab the shield, grab the ax, go to battle. Okay, fine, I get that.
But even then, where, you know, appreciation still exists. I mean, you know, battlers can appreciate one another. And I know it sounds weird, right? But when you have a spirit of appreciation and you apply that as a tool, as a weapon, things are different. In my experience. Things are different. And so I, you know, I can apply that across the board already mentioned, you know, your kids, your wife, your husband, whoever, you're your partner, whatever it is, you know, showing them appreciation is like, I mean, you can and I don't mean fake stuff, you know, whatever.
And and, you know, you can show it however, they whatever their love language is. Right. But but for you and your heart to feel appreciation for me that has been that's changed a lot of things in my life. And it's, it's been a real power. And so I just wanted to share that today. You know, you take that into into your community.
Certainly. We've talked about the larger community, but, you know, in your own, your own small community, whether it's your your town or your county or your your HOA, your neighborhood, whatever, man, a spirit of appreciation just hits different than it just it's different. And so as we look at Thanksgiving and we're getting together with families and all that, and we're taking time off work likely here, here in the US, you know, that's going on.
Maybe you're not, you're not there. And you get something different happening this week. I get it. But, you know, I, I just I just want to honor appreciation in a way that's real. And I know you can look at history, Thanksgiving. You are. You make your smart arguments and intellectual, you know, battles around what it really was and how bad, you know, okay, fine.
All that can be true and fair and everything. But the spirit of appreciation is what I'm talking about. That's what let's let's not get hung up on everything else. So what does it mean to be appreciative and and how to use it? And boy, it's a challenge. And I'm going to challenge you to power. I use it at Mountain Leverage all the time.
We start with appreciation. That's where we are. We have stuff we're doing wrong, ways that we mess up all the time. We get things, got a fix, got all that. But, man, if you start with appreciation. What? What? I try to start there and I'm kind of pushing appreciation into the organization. And then I'm pulled in and pulled in by what I see.
I all of a sudden it's like a code that rewrites my vision and rewrites what I'm paying attention to. And I see amazing things that I'm just absolutely appreciative of. And it's just, it's wow. It's amazing. So yeah, appreciation. You know, as I look at it in my roles as a founder, a father and a friend, appreciation is there in every way.
It's a foundational, Seminole, type type. Artifact that's always there. So anyway, I what, you know, where we at here? Where do we go from here? There's lots more I want to talk about again, but I want to. I want to end this just. There. And I want to say my challenge to you, if you're if you're up to challenges and whatnot, is, is is start with appreciation.
Try to find your way there. I think you'll you'll find and you might not I would be interested to hear how your experience goes, but you'll find not only are you happier, and it's not all about happiness necessarily, but you're likely happier. And those around you are going to see you differently, and they're going to feel different. And and outcomes are going to be there that maybe wouldn't have been otherwise.
And that's you want to change the world. You see things online or on the news or whatever else you want to change the world. I'm I'm going to tell you I'm starting with being appreciative and I and I appreciate you. I appreciate you listening. I appreciate you, however you've long you followed along, if it's just today or if it's if it's been the whole time.
Whatever, man, I, I appreciate that you're here and I appreciate what you do and what you have to go through in a day, in a life. And, I appreciate that you're here trying to find a path that works. And so, Yeah, I mean, that's it. So my challenge to you is take on appreciation. Grab at it, see what happens, see what happens.
And I know, I know, a lot of us already are very appreciative in life and I am as well. But just this extra kind of focus this, this season, it makes it gives a kind of an uplift. Right. You got Thanksgiving going on and, and Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's, whatever year things are right. There's just this a lot going on the season that that kind of makes you it makes it a little easier to to get swept up in appreciation.
At least it does for me. And, and as I start my new year, you know, I try to start on December 1st, I kick it off with like a full blast of appreciation in my in my bones and in my blood and, take that forward. So anyway, that's a that's that's enough. I, I can wax on for, for a long time on this topic, I again, I really find, gratitude appreciation flourishing as an absolute superpower.
And so I wish it for you. I wish it for you. And so yeah, he I would love to hear stories, things that have worked for you, stories of appreciation, challenges, ideas, questions, whatever. Let's get back on it. Here we are, season two. We're back after it. We're going to be we're going to be doing this or let's, it's great.
You guys have always asked some really great questions and pulled some things in. And I've just I've really enjoyed, what we've done together as a community here. And I'm looking forward to what season two and beyond brings. So before that though, hey, go. If you're here in the States doing your thing or wherever you are and you're doing and any kind of Thanksgiving or family gatherings or whatever here in the next week or so, enjoy it and I hope it's awesome for you.
And I hope you take, take my challenge to to really apply appreciation in a way maybe you've never have. Maybe just to overdo it right there, see things you can't, you can't ever do. And appreciation is one of them. So take that challenge on and whatever it is you're doing, wherever you may be, I hope you are flourishing.
Alex Reneman is the founder of Mountain Leverage and Unleash Tygart and host of Flourishing w/ Alex Reneman. For 20+ years he has worked as CEO of Mountain Leverage, honing the concept of flourishing and experimenting with it in the business. In July of 2024, he decided to begin to share this idea with others, which led to his podcast, social content, and the plans for other initiatives in the future.
