If you’re anything like me, it’s not easy for you to take a compliment. I understand the ridiculousness of that statement but it’s true. This is what it usually looks like:
Friend: I LOVE your hair! I love when you straighten it!
Me: Oh…uhh…yeah, well this humidity is turning it into a total frizz ball.
Or…
Friend: You look seriously fabulous today!!
Me: No way, I feel huuuuge!
Seriously? SERIOUSLY?! Why is it so hard to say “thank you!” Sometimes I’ll even start with “Thank you, but….” NO! No, no, NO!
Why is it so hard to take a compliment?
Why is it so hard to just say “thank you” and leave it at that?
Why does there always have to be an excuse?
To make it worse, I get the impression I’m not the only one like this. In fact I know I’m not. I can recall a few conversations with one of my good friends when I told her I loved her outfit and it turned into “oh thanks, but I totally spilled my coffee on myself this morning and now I have to spend the rest of my day walking around with this little spot” or some excuse along those lines.
As the day continued and everyone mentioned how cute she looked, she kept saying the same thing…”thank you, but…” We got a good laugh out of it when we realized how many times it happened in that day, but she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t just take the compliment and say “thank you.”
We talked about how hard it is for us to do that. Like we suddenly turn into this awkward girl in the corner freaked out that everyone is staring at us and we have to point out every flaw.
Even yesterday before I sat down to write up this post, I was texting with one of my best friends…
I know, I know… :-/
So I challenge you… And I challenge myself…
Next time someone gives you a compliment JUST SAY THANK YOU!
Take the compliment, acknowledge the compliment and realize you’re freaking gorgeous so let others see that!
You know, just thinking out loud.
How are you at taking compliments?
SO true! I love this!
Thank you! 😉
this was actually my new year’s resolution one year! it’s so funny how hard we are at accepting something nice about ourselves!
That’s a great resolution to have! It’s a constant resolution in my life…lol!
yes!!!! i just told this to a friend yesterday who was not taking my compliment. WHY or WHY!? Just say thank you, i speak truth! haha
You do speak truth! 😉
That’s definitely something I used to be guilty of doing all.the.time, but I’ve been making more of an effort over the years to work on my self-confidence and I think it’s paying off. It’s getting a lot easier to just say thank you instead of trying to dance around the issue and put myself down. Sad that it’s such a hard thing to do, though!
Working on our self confidence is definitely a HUGE part of it but I know I just get really awkward…I just don’t know what to do when someone says something nice to me. For whatever reason when it happens “thank you” doesn’t come to mind! lol
Eeeeeeeks! This is such the PLAGUE FOR US HUMANS, especially women! I used to be extreeeemely bad about this, and then I realized a few years ago that it all stems from my childhood. Although I had a great childhood overall, I never felt “beautiful” or accepted partly due to remarks I grew up hearing almost everyday….but then I realized I was being silly for justifying every single thing about myself. Now I’m rather good at accepting compliments and words of encouragement because I love to encourage others myself! But of course, there are days when my husband says something really sweet to me and I immediately shoot it to the ground. I don’t mean to, but my initial reaction sometimes resurfaces back again. And I’m glad you talk about it so all of us can open up about things! My motto lately has been to be less complex and just, BE, and let things BE. Does that make sense? 🙂
It makes TOTAL sense!! 🙂
I think it all comes with being confident in yourself and around that person. When someone compliments me, I own it and compliment them back! 🙂
I definitely think that’s a big part of it! But I do know for myself, I just get really awkward in some social situations (LOL, no joke!) and when someone compliments me, that’s one of those awkward moments. I’m working on it! 😉
That is a challenge. I admit, I struggle with it. I also struggle not to apologize- I apologize for EVERYTHING. I wrote a whole post on my old blog about it and realized a lot of people have the same issue!
Oh definitely!
You are so right about this! Women are the worst for accepting compliments, myself included. I am definitely trying to learn to say thank you. Its amazing how you feel better when you just accept the compliment too!
We just need to remember that someone is complimenting us because they’re trying to raise us up, so we should just let them raise us up!
yeah it is something i definitely have been working on and i can honestly say i have been just saying thank you lately now that i think of it!
Good job, babe!