I\u2019ve never met anyone who got mad when I gave them a compliment. Have you? So why are we sometimes so stingy with our words? I know we\u2019ve all noticed folks who looked beautiful or who had an outfit that was striking. Or we\u2019ve encountered people who were exceptional at their jobs or who had an extra sweet spirit about them.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been guilty of thinking nice things about people without saying those things to them, and I suspect you have been as well. Maybe it\u2019s shyness about talking to a stranger or wondering what they will think if we give them a compliment.<\/p>\n
I learned a valuable lesson about that many years ago. I was standing in a long line at a department store right before a holiday waiting to have my packages wrapped. Ahead of me was a lovely elderly lady. Her soft white curls were charming, her make-up applied perfectly, her outfit adorable. And to top it off, there was such sweetness etched into her face.<\/p>\n
Before I could talk myself out of it, I blurted, \u201cExcuse me, ma\u2019am.\u201d She turned around and I said, \u201cYou are so beautiful. Your outfit is adorable, and I love your hair. I\u2019d give anything to look like you when I\u2019m your age.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was stunned. And then with tears in her eyes she said, \u201cNobody\u2019s called me beautiful in years. Oh my goodness, thank you!\u201d<\/p>\n
And then other people spoke up, \u201cI was just standing here thinking the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have such a classic beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI agree! You\u2019re cute as you can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
I literally watched her blossom, and when she turned to leave, she said, \u201cThank you all so much. You made my day.\u201d Such a simple thing. Words that I almost didn\u2019t say. An opportunity to bless someone, and I almost missed it.<\/p>\n
That was a life-changing moment, and I decided that I\u2019d always verbalize it when I thought something nice about somebody. And just as important\u2014because compliments are often paid when the person isn\u2019t around\u2014that I\u2019d try to repeat anything nice that I heard.<\/p>\n
Compliments are easy to give, and they\u2019re often remembered for a lifetime. Who can you compliment today? After watching someone\u2019s face light up when they hear nice words, you might become addicted to the practice. And our world will become a far better place.<\/p>\n
PS: Just so you\u2019ll know, I think you\u2019re the best readers in the world!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019ve never met anyone who got mad when I gave them a compliment. Have you? So why are we sometimes so stingy with our words? I know we\u2019ve all noticed folks who looked beautiful or who had an outfit that was striking. Or we\u2019ve encountered people who were exceptional at their jobs or who had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116,"featured_media":27253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[199],"tags":[51],"ppma_author":[474],"class_list":["post-17126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-helping-people","tag-inspirational-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n