Positivity: Compliments
YOU are an incredible, worthwhile, amazing person.
How does that sit with you? Do you take the compliment as complimentary, or does it make you uncomfortable? Do you want to deny the statement, humble yourself?
One of the best ways to reach a positive place it to learn to both give and receive compliments more freely.
We as a society have gotten quite talented at finding the flaws, pointing out the inequities, and criticizing. We point out the negatives easily and frequently, because we have lost sight of the impact that focus on the negative will have.
Compliments for some reason do not come easily to us. I know many people who do not easily give them, and even less readily accept them. But complimenting people should not cause embarrassment, it should cause good feelings, it should generate Positivity.
Perhaps it is a fear of crossing that invisible boundary between familiarity and pretentiousness or smugness. Maybe it is concern that the compliment will be met with scorn or incredulity. We have gotten so paranoid about our every word and action that rather than be complimentary, we prefer to be silent.
I believe that we should make more of an effort to give compliments where compliments are due. Genuine, heart-felt compliments for a job well done, for looking well put-together, for simply being. Compliments can help to make more Positivity, and the world needs more positivity.
On this same line – we need to learn to take compliments better. Many people fear that if they react to a given compliment in the wrong way they will come across as arrogant or haughty or overwhelming or what-have-you. But we need to take positive energy for ourselves as well as give it away to others. So we need to learn to better accept compliments, and simply respond to them with a Thank You.
When you are going about your day, consider how frequently you criticize. Think about how much negativity that creates, and how that makes you feel. Don’t just let yourself be drawn into negative conversations about work or the government or bad people and all they do – make a conscious effort to steer clear of that negativity.
Instead of seeking things and people and places to criticize, seek things and people and places to compliment. Don’t let that job well done or that beautiful home and garden or that healthy-looking person or that tasty sandwich go unnoticed. Compliment them. Yes, even the inanimate objects that cannot respond – complimenting begets Positivity, and this is a mindset that needs to be spread further over negativity.
There is no harm in taking a complimentary attitude. As you give more compliments I believe you will more easily accept compliments back. Doesn’t something that makes you feel good and positive FEEL BETTER than things that make you feel bad and negative?
Finding positivity is not hard, it just requires action. Being complimentary rather than critical allows you to be more focused on Positivity. Positive attitude begets positive energy, and that is always a good thing.
This is the fourth entry of my Positivity series. It is my hope these weekly messages might help spread positive energies for everyone.
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