Tanking as paladin is easy and if you do a good job, commendations come themselves. Sometimes others do also w good job sometimes people don't care so there is not always a commendation for you. But after all they are just icing on the cake.

The motivation of tanking should be something else, I suggest.

If you enjoy it, keep going and improve until you can tank the hard content.

I even raid Alexander extreme as main tank and I enjoy the thrill of the battle.