T.A.G. The Moments That Matter
Power Acronym 204: T.A.G.
Some moments deserve to be tagged — noticed, named, and remembered.
This week, it happened at a baby shower in our office.
The Moment
Friday, we stopped everything to celebrate one of our Project Managers and his bride-to-be as they prepare to welcome their first child in just a few weeks.
There was blue and white confetti on the floor, balloons everywhere, party favors, snacks, cake.
And for a solid hour, there was no talk of jobs, numbers, or deadlines.
Just people showing up for people.
I tend to be pretty focused on work, and I was happy to simply savor that moment.
Like the silence I shared about in a previous post, it was a moment I wanted to make sure I really felt - because I'm working to live, not the other way around.
I’m now calling these moments T.A.G. moments.
Like life is tapping my shoulder and saying, “Tag, this is it.”
And while the memory already has a name (baby shower, mountain silence), T.A.G. matches the feeling I've experienced with them.
T.A.G. yourself into your own life by being Thankful, Appreciative, and Grateful.
While each are similar, I have notes for each to help distinguish one from the other and help experience that T.A.G. moment fully.
Power Acronym 204: T.A.G.
T — THANKFUL
Being thankful is typically reactive; a response for a benefit received or kindness experienced.
It’s a response to good that comes to you.
I was thankful that we took that hour to celebrate.
Thankful for the games, the snacks, the cake.
Thankful for the owners’ family, who decorated the office with balloons and party favors.
Thankful that I got to be in the room.
We as a team were giving thanks for each other in the form of all the things that made the party what it was.
The only way to live is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” - Margaret Storm Jameson
A — APPRECIATE
Appreciation is the practice of recognizing the value something or someone brings to you.
That moment made me appreciate the culture we’re building:
A place where we value people more than performance.
Where we carve out time just to love on a teammate’s family.
Where laughter fills an hour that could’ve been spent grinding.
When we increase our awareness and pay closer attention to what brings us value, the value increases exponentially.
Or, said another way:
“What you appreciate, appreciates.”
I return to that phrase often because it says it all.
“Attention is the doorway to gratitude, the doorway to wonder, the doorway to reciprocity.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
G — GRATITUDE
Gratitude is a readiness to show appreciation, thankfulness embodied.
Heroic pairs this virtue with a simple declaration:
“I appreciate all the gifts and blessings in my life.”
That hour filled me with a sense of gratitude.
Gratitude that I get to be an active participant in this kind of community.
Gratitude for the outpouring of love.
Gratitude for the reminder I needed.
Because work is so often tied to performance and objectives…
But how it impacts each and every family our work touches — our team and the families we serve — is the whole point.
I am hopeful that more leaders will find ways to show their Gratitude toward their team and community.
I think I'll start by sharing more thanks and taking more moments to really appreciate the life I have.
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” - Leo F. Buscaglia
T.A.G. the Moments That Matter
This week, around whatever table you gather at…
Say what you’re Thankful for.
Call out what you Appreciate.
Share the Gratitude that’s shaping who you’re becoming.
Remember:
We work to live, not the other way around.
‘Tis the season to T.A.G. the moments that matter.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” - Jesus (Acts 20:35)