I don’t know about you, but I’m incredibly British when it comes to accepting compliments. I always try and pass things off, “Oh it wasn’t that hard really…” or, “Well, I guess I just lucked out!”.
It seems ingrained in many of us that we should always be humble when anyone issues us a compliment. I’m calling bullshit!
You know what, we all work so unbelievably hard at damn near everything that disregarding an achievement as “luck” is just down right ludicrous. You should be proud of whatever you’ve achieved, and if someone compliments you, then you should graciously accept it.
Why you should accept compliments…
- It makes you feel good & confident to have your hard work recognised, revel in it for a bit.
- It makes the other person feel good because they made you feel good, you’re saying that you trust their judgement and appreciate their opinion.
- It leads to interesting conversation and an exchange of advice.
How do you accept a compliment?
- Be confident in, and aware of your achievements. You know how hard you worked, you know it wasn’t just luck.
- When someone compliments you, be gracious “Thanks so much for saying that, I really gave it all I had and I’m happy with the results” is so much better than “Well, what did you expect?”.
- Consider the context of the compliment. If it’s something minor, “I really like your outfit”, then there’s no need to tell them Every. Damn. Thing. about the shopping trip. However, if you’re being complimented on completing your first 10k race then it’s a great chance to discuss how you went about training for it, or swap work-out tips, just make sure you’re not boring them!
- Don’t always assume you need to give a compliment in return, I believe that compliments should be given sincerely and not as payment, but it’s always nice to try and return the compliment at some point.
Choo-choo, all aboard the compliment train!
PS. I really like your hair today, did you do something new?






































