Compliments make me feel funny!

I struggle with people giving me compliments - they make me feel funny!  I am not sure why, but when someone says something nice about me, I have an instinctive reaction to be dismissive about whatever they commented about.  I say things like “this old thing”, or “it’s not a big deal”, or I will fidget and feel weird. I have noticed others doing this also.. Why do we do this?  

In the last week, a friend of mine had this same conversation.  She also has a “compliments complex.” I have decided that it is just easier to believe the bad about ourselves.  Even about our clothes! Instead of the one nice thing that person said about us, we choose to think that person doesn’t know what they are talking about, even though they just saw you with their own eyes and said you looked nice.  We have decided this person wants something from us.. Which may be true, but they could still think you look nice!!! The compliment is a good thing, but we treat it like it’s a sharp knife...let me just slip around that compliment so  it doesn’t “cut me”.

Eventually our significant others stop saying nice things about us because we always deconstruct the compliment.. I am guilty of this for sure!  I mean really...why would husbands say something nice if all we do is tell him how wrong he is for the next 3 mins….

I assumed my issue with “compliments complex” was because I am on the “above average” weight scale of life, and height too! But now that I have noticed thin and smaller-framed women struggling also, I think this “compliments complex” is easily cured.  I think it's because we don’t hear or say nice things enough about each other, so it sounds weird when we do. It sounds inappropriate. It sounds odd. It was not needed.. But maybe it was needed, and the oddness of the random compliment brightened that person’s day.

What if we all decided to compliment each other all the time.  For example, did you think to yourself, “I like those earrings”, but didn’t say anything?  Next time say something about it. Even if it’s a stranger!! Those are the most fun for me!  The person is genuinely shocked… The next time your friend is having a good hair day, say something about it.  If she starts to correct you, remind her to “just say thank you”. We are our worst critics and we need to stop!

We are supposed to speak life and truth to each other.  

Truths about us all, are that we are here for a purpose.   We are beautiful. We are here by grand design. We are all awesome at something.  We are all children of God. We are to share love and display love. God wants us to share love with one another.  Ladies, let’s be friends again. Let’s be nice! Let's show love! Compliments are an easy way to start sharing the love with one another.  Saying a small thing can be a huge thing. The one compliment you gave to that stranger might be the only nice thing they hear all day. The one bright spot in the day for them could have been you and your words.  

A good compliment can make a difference in someone's life!

People do not always remember what you say, but they remember how you made them feel.  If you made them feel good, then you did a good thing today.

So girl, if those boots look good and so does the rest of your outfit, say thank you!  Don’t say, “oh this old stuff, I just threw something on…” If you took a nice picture, don’t pick it apart, say thank you.  If you did a great job, don’t point out the one thing that could have been better, say thank you. You are dismissing your awesomeness.  Own that compliment and float around on it all day! Because you deserve it and it is the truth!

Be Different Folks!