Show Your Gratitude to Others with Compliments
Don’t you love to receive compliments? It’s great for your self-esteem and just plain feels good to hear someone else’s respect or admiration. Those few words lighten your moods and give you the strength to push forward with you head held high.
Compliments reinforce that you’re doing something right and your efforts are being appreciated. It only takes a moment to notice something small about someone but those few words can certainly make a difference in that person’s day.
Compliment Your Family
Showing your appreciation to those you love has a dual purpose: it shows how grateful you are to have them in your life while at the same time acknowledging the special work they’ve done.
Here are a few examples of ways to express your gratitude:
- “Thanks for clearing the dishes. You did a great job!”
- “I really appreciate your help with dinner tonight! It was a wonderful meal.”
- “I am so thankful for your love and support. You’ve really helped me get through a tough day.”
Children and adults alike are encouraged to help more if they are complemented and receive positive acknowledgment. Hearing compliments on a regular basis also teaches children how to appreciate the people in their lives.
Compliment Your Coworkers
There are two types of managers in business: one who appreciates their workers for a job well done and another who just expects the job to get done without any acknowledgment. Obviously, we all need to treat each other with the respect and dignity we deserve!
Here are some examples of how to express gratitude at work:
- “Thanks for staying late today. I’ll be sure to tell the boss how hard you’ve been working lately.”
- “The client really loved the report you wrote.”
- “I really appreciate you taking the time out to help me with this. It means a lot to me!”
Adding a personal touch to the office by giving compliments can be a huge motivator. Your colleagues will trust and respect you far more than anyone else in the office.
Compliment Strangers
In today’s society, very few people take the time to strike up a conversation with a total stranger. We have to remember that people are brought into our lives every day for a variety of reasons, and you can deeply affect someone’s mood just by being nice to them.
Of course, you probably shouldn’t divulge your entire life’s story the first time you meet someone, but what you can do is notice something good about a person and tell them. Show your gratitude for meeting this person because this experience just might teach you something new about yourself.
Here are a few examples of things you can look for to give an honest compliment about:
- Is the person a sharp dresser?
- Is s/he a genuinely nice person to others?
- Are the person’s children very well-behaved?
- Did you see the person do a kind act for someone else?
The key to expressing your gratitude is opening your eyes to seeing the simple gifts in your day. By paying attention to the actions of those around you, you’ll not only help others gain confidence, but you’ll become known as the trustworthy go-to guy or go-to gal.
Make a goal to compliment at least one person each and every day. You’ll start appreciating the small things in life and you’ll brighten someone’s day at the same time.
Why wait to compliment someone? Leave a comment and compliment me on this blog post – LOL!
I’m always handing out compliments, it makes the receiver feel good and an almost automatic smile appears. I’m a positive person and can always find something to compliment someone about. Lia is following in my footsteps and will tell someone they have pretty hair or “I like your mask” and it makes them smile back to her.
I am always surprised at how surprised people are when you give a stranger a compliment. I LOVE Tie Dye shirts. If I see someone wearing one, I will tell them “I love your shirt!” It always seems to light them up! (Esp. children!)
I also love to give compliments. The important thing for me is that my compliments are indeed sincere.
I love your positive outlook on life, Paul. You are a great example of showing your appreciation to others and bringing a bit of joy to their lives.
Sincerity is the key! It’s gotta be sincere! And thank you for the compliment 😉
Paul, thanks for a great piece! Combining gratitude and compliments is great when it’s sincerely meant. By now, people know I’m genuine. So when I close the HOA Board meeting and thank everyone for coming and for a great meeting, they know I mean it; they really take it in. I love how positive you are, and how that’s woven through the ways in which you conduct business, the UBC, and trainings.
Thanks for the kind words, Kebba! And the key, as you mentioned, is that you need to mean it! Thanks.
I compliment people when they make nice things. I think ia good to apreciate quality people and actions.
Absolutely!
Another interesting practice is to review your life specifically for mining the greatest compliments you personally have received. It is a great basis for an article people may actually read.
Ohhh! I like this idea! Thanks, Kate!
Giving compliments to total strangers is a double dose of positivity. The person receiving the compliment is so taken off guard by receiving a compliment from a genuine stranger that their first response is usually a very natural and joyful smile. That is my dose of positivity – when their first, instinctual reaction is to response from a place of joy. Thanks for the reminder to do it more often.
You are welcome!
I will have to add this to my list of ways to express gratitude. Great post, Paul!
You got it, Laura!