The Power of Appreciation

With all the emotions I've been feeling in the run up to this week, I’ve decided that no matter what happens, I'm going to rely on one emotion that has gotten me through life's uncertain times: Appreciation. An article published by Harvard Medical School, "Giving Thanks Makes You Feel Happier," explained the power of this emotion:

Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice. 

When you embark on a herculean mission, it's easy to focus on what's missing, the countless miles ahead, rather than the accomplishments and distance traveled. That's why I'm proud and grateful to share news that TipBrightly.io is New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association's preferred vendor for contactless, cashless tipping as the state navigates the re-opening of businesses. My appreciation goes to @Samantha McDonald and the Board of Directors at NHLRA and to Emily Grubb & Jess Wilson at the Appalachian Mountain Club for recognizing the value of cashless tipping and the viability of our technology.

With COVID-19, contactless tipping is now a mitigation strategy, reassurance for the cash wary, a way to recover earnings. For businesses such as hotels, it’s a way to tell your employees, we care about your safety. We care about your financial well-being. And that appreciation makes a difference. A study conducted by University of Pennsylvania described:

Managers who remember to say "thank you" to people who work for them may find that those employees feel motivated to work harder. Researchers at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania randomly divided university fund-raisers into two groups. One group made phone calls to solicit alumni donations in the same way they always had. The second group — assigned to work on a different day — received a pep talk from the director of annual giving, who told the fund-raisers she was grateful for their efforts. During the following week, the university employees who heard her message of gratitude made 50% more fund-raising calls than those who did not.

And so a mountain of appreciation goes to TipBrightly’s team for their unwavering commitment and focus: Courtney Ko, Alex Li, Jorge Suarez, Lindsay Weller, Ganka Hadjipetrova, Heidi Schlegel, Lauren M Taylor, and Luke Mertens. you brightened my days when I saw only darkness, smoke, and orange skies. Special thanks to Iris Fujiura of Golden Seeds and Michael Jones of Science. Thank you for your continuing faith, support, and appreciation for what we're doing. I feel that we're moving in the right direction and we will get there. One tip at a time.