Think about a day you weren’t feeling too hot. You woke up late, you missed your bus and it’s your longest day of work. You left your papers at home, you don’t have time for coffee and when you thought there was no way to improve your mood, a coworker compliments your work integrity on a day the world wasn’t in your favor, when your mind your was filled with negativity and fatigue.
Compliments can totally change the outcome of someone’s day. Whether it’s about your nice outfit, or a compliment about your person, it can have a drastically positive impact on one’s day. I know I’ve had many days the world seemed upset with me, as if we were fighting. If my overall day wasn’t stellar and someone had given me a compliment in some way, it would have definitely made me smile.
You may think you don’t have to give a compliment, and you are right! You can admire from a distance, or think in your head about how wonderful and kind a person is, or how stunning someone looks in a certain dress or shirt, but to actually give the compliment -- which requires a little effort and kindness, a sort of selfless appreciation -- does nothing but bring someone up.
Ignore the people who say compliments on appearance are shallow. Let that person know how great their makeup looks! They probably spent a lot of time and effort on it. Tell someone that their outfit looks amazing -- it might just be their favorite dress. Not everything has to be deep and personal for it to be meaningful. For me, it’s impossible not to grin when someone compliments my appearance. It’s nice to know someone admires my effort in trying to look nice.
And if you catch a chance to do so, compliment someone on their personality. I know I feel more appreciated when someone tells me something I have done was kind. It's true that when you show love and kindness, you shouldn’t ask for anything in return, but it’s always nice to know that someone has noticed a good deed you have done. Knowing that your kind acts aren’t going unnoticed is very rewarding, even if it’s only seen by a few.
Be generous with compliments. The world is rather chaotic and mean. Sometimes a compliment can do as much as save a life. I’ve heard stories of where people have wanted to end their life on a certain day but didn't follow through because someone had complimented them. Even if it was simple compliment, acknowledging someone enough to make them smile can mean more than you intend it to, especially if they are feeling particularly lonely.
Compliments take little effort yet reward so much. It can change someone’s whole mood -- so be a light in their sad day. I may not always remember my compliments, but I will always remember the people that have made me feel at least an ounce of joy on an unpleasant day.
The compliments don’t go unnoticed. Rather, they bring the person up; even bring their frown to a grin. A compliment a day is a smile a day.
Let’s help each other light up the world with our beaming grins.
