Saying Thank You

Day 88

Affirmation:

When someone offers me a compliment I will accept their words with a smile and a simple “Thank you.”

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Have you ever really listened to the way most people accept a compliment?  Very often it sounds something like this- (In response to,  “Your hair looks great today.”)  “Really?  It’s sort of flat…”  or “Thanks, I got lucky, most of time it doesn’t quite do what I want it to do…”  or “Oh, it’s out of control.  I really need it cut…”     Another example is this- (In response to, “Wow, you’re really talented.”)   “Oh I don’t know…”   or  “I try but I have a long way to go…” or “Really? You think so?”    Why is it so hard for the average person to accept a compliment?  Because we don’t believe we’ve earned it.  We don’t believe we are worthy of it.  We don’t believe whatever they are saying is true because we ourselves don’t believe it.   Most compliment responses include some sort of negation, justification, denial, argument, disbelief, or a brushing it off with a joke.   A compliment is a gift and it needs to be accepted as one.   Today I will listen to how I respond to the kind words of others.  I will practice, consciously and with great effort, saying nothing more than, “Thank you.”   It will probably feel odd but I will work to get used to it!