Accepting Compliments

I don’t know when in life we women decided it was more polite or socially acceptable to refuse compliments instead of accepting them. We are taught to always say thank you. Can you imagine a 5 year old refusing her compliment? “That dress looks so adorable on you!” “Oh, no, it’s just ok.”

On a daily basis I find myself encouraging Gabbi to stay humble and to always thank someone for praise. Whether it’s her beauty, her style, her manners, or her compassion, praise is to be accepted, not rejected. If someone brought you a birthday gift, would you turn them away at the door? 

Moreover, by refusing a compliment you’re taking away someone else’s gift. You’re either cutting off the compliment-giver’s gift or you’re shortchanging the gifts you’ve already been given. That beautiful new haircut is thanks to your hairdresser. Your manners are thanks to your parents. Your peircing eyes are thanks to the Lord. Who are we to take away the praise from them?

Why do we think it’s more desirable to reject or refuse someone’s praise? I want my daughter to see me accepting compliments. I think it shows confidance when you accept the compliments that someone pays you. 

Just a thought.

By the way, this is one of my all time favorite quotes. Very fitting. It’s usually attributed to Nelson Mandela, but Marianne Williamson wrote these great words.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.