Just Say “Thank You” . Tara Kachaturoff
“Chloe! Love your dress. It’s gorgeous. Looks great on you.”
“This old thing? I’ve had it for years. Ugh.”
What’s wrong with this response? So many things.
You may be guilty of this yourself. A friend or family member compliments you on something and then you proceed to downgrade everything about it.
This is a big mistake and harmful to you and the person who offered the compliment.
What can you do instead?
When you receive a compliment, you only need one response — “Thank you.” Feel free to follow it up with any other positive comments like, “I appreciate your comment” or “That means a lot to me.”
When you respond negatively after someone gives you a compliment, you’re insulting them. You implying they’re a poor judge of things. You’re belittling their words, and therefore, belittling them.
You’re also being self-deprecating. That is, you’re praying against yourself. I don’t know about you, but life is hard enough. We’re constantly being judged by others. Never voice disapproval about yourself. Words have power and they can adversely affect your health and your perception of self. Additionally, you’ll lay the groundwork for neural networks that are keyed to negative thought patterns.
Each time you think or voice negativity, you program your brain to do it more easily the next time.
Remember that saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything.”
That goes for speaking against yourself, too! So switch things up and accept compliments with grace and ease and you’ll create a great experience for everyone!
To Your Success,
Tara
