How to Accept a Compliment

When someone tells you you look nice do you blow them off and say, "oh this old thing, I've had it forever?"  Or, if someone tells you your new hair cut looks great do you say, "well the stylist did not cut it the way that I asked them to but thanks anyway?"

I have heard that the reason we downplay a compliment is because of low self esteem.  Its a way to protect ourselves from insults or criticism from others.  It is also supposedly a way to be accepted.  We learn how to do this when we are younger but sometimes we just don't grow out of it.  I personally am guilty of downplaying a compliment.  And before I read the article in the July/August 2011 issue of Fitness Magazine I did not really think it was a big deal.  But according to the article called Hey Beautiful on pages 119-124 this can be risky.  Especially at work.

If someone gives you a compliment at work and you blow them off and point out something negative about yourself this can actually backfire on you.  In the workplace not accepting a compliment can be seen as not being confident in your skills at work and make you look like you don't know what you are doing.  The best thing to do is to say thank you when someone compliments you on your job and state something positive about yourself and the work you have been doing.

In other situations it seems that the best thing to do when someone gives you a compliment is to also say thank you.  To be able to accept compliments better we should also work on improving our self esteem and self acceptance.  A good strong belief in our own value and abilities will help us to feel good when someone says something nice to us.  And we won't be tempted to dismiss the good things people say because we believe it within ourselves.

Compliment yourself and speak positive words to yourself on a regular basis.  Feel good about your accomplishments and take notice of them.  When we can do this then we aren't so surprised to hear other people say nice things.

Learn to trust the nice things other people say about you.  Try not to worry if they have a hidden agenda.  That is their problem.  And realize that when you don't allow someone to give you a compliment its like returning a gift to someone.  And it does not give the other person a chance to feel good about saying something nice to you.