I can no longer remember exactly when I became conscience about changing my ways, but about that time I made a promise to myself to be better at giving and recieveing compliments. I started out by addressing the little barrier in my head: that I sometimes would say to myself: hey, compliment is the tool of a sucker-upper, or denial of a compliment shows modesty. In stead I thought: compliments should be honest and without self-interest. I tried telling myself I will never give them when wanting something or to cover something up - like how bad a dress look or to get a compliment. You might think that this philosophy landed me in a place where I never gave any compliments, but you're wrong - I gave them out on a daily basis all of a sudden - and I meant them. I compliment hair and clothes, jokes and intellegence, good ideas and behaviour. And guess what happened: I've never recieved so many compliments in my life. I get to hear that I'm a good friend, that I'm a good dancer or that I have a cute nose (really funny that I would hear this so often I guess - cute nose? Is it because they think that HAVE to say something nice and can't think of anything but the thing sticking out the most on me (yes,yes, I have small breats) or is my nose actually something out of the ordinary? and if it is, my GOD, why coulldn't you have given me a smile or eyes out of the ordniary??!)
I even have my own personal feel-good buddy at work now: she's this cute little chinese woman with huge, oversized glasses, way tooo much make-up and flowery dresses and she compliments my clothing almost on a daily basis. I love her - I really do.
But the best compliment I got (besides for the nose-thing off course), was from someone I have not paid a compliment in a long time, and that was a compliment in the form of a blog- post: Ben
His memory of our encounter made me blush - mostly because it was so weird to think that anyone would consider me "out of their leauge" (especially when I had the biggest crush on him) but also because its great to know that somebody have fond memories of me. Fond memories are the best compliment I think cause thay can never really fade. This inspires me.. Really, it does, now I have to go out and give everyone I meet today a compliment. See - thats how good karma works. And this is how powerful compliments are - they start a chain reaction of selfless goodwill... (oh my, i'm preaching! Stop! Now!)
northstar
About Me
- Ejlis
- I'm defined by whats going on in my life. i might be constantly greeneyed and small-nosed, but I'm always changing. In the moment I'm defined by up-rooting, re-rooting and thoughts of choices and changes. Could I, we, root anywhere? Are roots necessary or is it overshadowed by the restlessness in us all? Looking at world events, I feel these questions reflected around the world. it might be because I presently struggle with them and are narrowed by my own view, but I see the these struggles everywhere. Meeting people, understading their roots always seem important to me, respecting their past. And sometimes I think we underrestimate our roots, sometimes I think roots hold us back. But again, somebody has said something really clever about this:If we do not honour our past, we lose our future. If we destroy our roots, we cannot grow. (Friedensreich Hundertwasser) I just visit some of his architechture in Vienna, and fell for both his work and his quotes. Maybe, again, because they resonnate with something in me that I focus on at the moment. And this is the way my world is colored now. With Hundertwasser and the color of change.
US marines
polarbear
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