The Neglected Art of Compliments - January 27, 2013

Book stores, pharmacies, and watering holes are full of products aimed at helping us feel better about life, but last night, I received a spirit-boosting gift that can’t even be seen, cost the giver nothing, and is still putting a smile on my face– a compliment.

The compliment, itself, isn’t important. What is important is that the person took the time out of her busy schedule to share a few kind words and acknowledge something I had done.

I’ll bet the e-mail she composed took less than five minutes, but the effects are still resonating. Immediately afterward, I felt a shot of adrenaline and slept peacefully throughout the night.

This morning, still in high spirits, I was moved to send a compliment along to another friend and to write this post, all because of the unexpected gift I received last night.

When I met my friend Umit in Turkey, she always stressed the importance of cultivating and surrounding oneself with positive energy because it leads to more positive energy and more positive outcomes in life, just as negativity tends to attract more negativity and more negative outcomes in life.

Sincere compliments are such an easy way to spread positive energy, and can mean so much to both the giver and receiver, but daily we tend to let the opportunities to distribute them pass by.

Maybe, part of the solution to our angst lies in the often forgotten compliment.