Compliments are the Currency of Appreciation
When I was an exercise instructor, I agreed to substitute for a very popular aerobics instructor. Her classes were always packed with eager participants. The expectations were high for the sub. The day of the class arrived; I was filled with dread. Why had I agreed to do this? I had practiced my routine repeatedly, in between changing diapers and feeding babies. I arrived at the gym, went to the aerobics room and my heart sank. There were 15 people in the room. I took a deep breathe, put on a smile and led my small group through the 60-minute routine the best I knew how. The students were probably disappointed that the usual amazing instructor was not there. In fact, I would have felt the same way; she was inspiring and led a challenging class! My thoughts: Why can’t I be better at this? Are the students going to complain? After the class, a student approached me and said, “Nice job, I got a good work-out”. I smiled and thanked him. The small gesture lightened my self-doubt and changed the course of my evening and my thoughts about myself. (Another article)
Compliments are the currency of appreciation; they are the glue that binds our relationships, whether the relationship lasts an hour or a lifetime. I’m taking more time to compliment those around me each day. Compliments are free, easy to give, and can change the outcome of someone’s day or life. Compliments are a way of recognizing others’ efforts, a form of appreciation.
Complimenting the positive aspects of those around us, attracts more of those aspects to us. Think about your team, employees, or those in your family; they may have terrific organizational skills, creativity, writing skills, show courage, listening skills, beauty (we all have that!), or do a great job cleaning up the kitchen. Tell them!
You may not love everything your child does, but man they did a great job cleaning up the kitchen dishes last night or completed their homework with great focus. How often do we tell our spouse how handsome or beautiful they are? That compliment never gets old. You may think, “My wife knows I think she is beautiful”, but seriously she wants to hear it more. Wow, “This meal is wonderful,” “I love that you always have my back.” Can’t you feel the sticky glue?
I received this email from a client. She said, “Receiving this card was the best part of my week. Thank you so much.” The attachment on her email, to my surprise, was a photo of a thank you card I had sent her. My note complimented her for being a great client and so easy to work with. It was a simple gesture on my part, and I think it changed the course of her day, and in turn she lit up my day!
Consider the impact you could have on someone’s day by simply and honestly remarking on something good. And don’t be surprised when the universe sends that positivity right back to you.
Start spending your compliments! The currency never runs out.