It's a great feeling when your work is appreciated.

In the words of Jacqueline Fernandez, “It’s a great feeling when your work is appreciated.” Though simple, these words hold the quiet depth of truth — a truth that has burned in the hearts of all who have ever created, toiled, or dreamed. To labor with passion, to give one’s energy and heart to a task, and then to feel it recognized, seen, and valued — this is one of life’s sweetest affirmations. It is the moment when effort meets understanding, when the soul feels mirrored in the eyes of another. For all true workers, artists, and dreamers, this is not mere praise — it is communion.

Appreciation is the sunlight that nourishes the roots of human endeavor. Even the strongest spirit, when starved of it, may begin to wither in shadow. Yet, to be appreciated is not to crave vanity; it is to witness one’s inner world reflected back by others, and thus to know that the fire within has indeed warmed another heart. It is a confirmation that our labor, our creation, our existence, has meaning beyond ourselves. In ancient days, the philosopher Aristotle wrote that “we are social beings,” and this truth echoes here — for even the greatest minds, the most tireless hands, long to know that their light is not unseen.

Consider the tale of Vincent van Gogh, the painter whose colors blazed brighter than the sun itself. In his lifetime, he was misunderstood, dismissed, and forgotten. His art — now seen as divine — once lay unsold, unvalued, unseen. He died in sorrow, never knowing that the world would one day kneel before his vision. His story is a lamentation, but also a revelation: that the longing for recognition is woven into the essence of creation itself. Yet it also teaches us to persist, even when that appreciation is delayed, for truth often waits for time to catch up.

But Jacqueline Fernandez’s words also celebrate a more luminous moment — that blessed instant when appreciation arrives while the heart still beats to receive it. It is the artist’s reward, the teacher’s joy, the builder’s relief, the farmer’s smile at harvest. Such recognition is not only external; it ignites the internal flame of confidence and gratitude. It whispers to the weary soul, “You were right to believe. Your effort was not in vain.” And in that whisper lies renewal — the strength to begin again, to give again, to rise again.

Yet the wise know that true appreciation must be mutual. As much as we desire to be recognized, we must also learn to recognize others. The craftsman praises the stonecutter; the teacher honors the student; the singer thanks the unseen hand that built the stage. For appreciation is the golden thread that weaves community — the sacred bond that transforms labor into legacy. To give it is as divine as to receive it, for in appreciating others, we awaken them to the greatness that may lie dormant within.

The lesson within this quote is twofold. First, let no one despise the desire for appreciation — it is human, natural, and holy when rightly held. But second, do not let your purpose depend upon it. Do your work for the love of the craft, and let appreciation be the perfume that follows your labor, not the food that sustains it. The joy of mastery must come first; the applause may come later, or not at all. As the ancients said, “The reward of a good deed is the deed itself.”

And so, children of the present age, remember this: labor with heart, and let your work speak in the language of excellence. When others appreciate it, accept their praise with humility, knowing that they are not only honoring you, but the eternal spirit of diligence that flows through you. And when you see good work in others — a small kindness, a noble effort, a quiet act of dedication — speak your appreciation. For the few words you give may light a fire in another’s soul.

In this way, you join the ancient chain of encouragement that has lifted humanity since the dawn of time. As Jacqueline Fernandez reminds us, to feel our work appreciated is a great feeling indeed — but to live in such a way that our work itself becomes an offering of gratitude to the world, that is the greater triumph. So create, strive, and appreciate — and let your praise become the echo that keeps the world’s flame burning bright.