How to Take a Compliment
Can we learn to accept kind words without disclaimers or discounts?
How many times has someone come to you and paid you a compliment, and you’ve downplayed or negated it? Or you felt the responsibility to give a compliment in return?
Compliments are meant to be genuine expression of seeing something in someone that you like and admire. Now, I am also of the camp that what other people think of me is none of my business, but that has more to do with not worrying about what is going on in the head of someone else. Compliments have to do with what comes out of their mouth.
If I were to tell someone “I love that dress, it’s such a great color on you”, I would also bet the woman receiving that would respond with - “thanks so much, I got it at Target for $30” or “thanks, it doesn’t fit that great anymore, since I've gained a few pounds”, or “thanks, I love your earrings”.
Why is it so hard for us to take a compliment?
While I don’t know the answer to that, I have been practicing receiving compliments, periodt. These are my go-to’s, so the next time someone pays you a compliment consider any of these responses:
“Thank you”
“Thank you for saying so”
“Thank you, I appreciate you saying that”
or for fun, “I know”
Maybe taking the time to receive the compliment will help us remember them. Then maybe, we’ll rack up more of those compliments in our brain, taking up the space we’re currently housing all of our self doubt and insecurities.