A Simple Thank You

I was reading Soul Proprietor by Jane Pollak and one of her little lessons (Lesson 21) is about saying thank you. She points out that when we downplay someone's compliment to us we are downplaying the person who said it. Think about it for a minute. Imagine you are at the local park. Now you notice something special about someone and you just have to tell them. You walk up to them and give them a compliment. You are standing there, next to them, because you wanted to share something nice with them. They smile at you and say thank you. How do you feel? Pretty good huh?

Now rewind and go back in time. You just saw this person and noticed something special about them. You walk up to them and give them a compliment. Now imagine them laughing it off, or downplaying your compliment. How do you feel? Certainly not as good as you did a few minutes ago. When they reacted negatively it's like you handed them a gift and they just set it aside without even saying thank you.

The next time someone gives you a compliment, accept it for the gift it is. You may even imagine them handing you a beautifully wrapped package. Just smile and say thank you - and know you are giving them a gift in return.