Be Accepting of Compliments

Humility is a tricky thing. How are people supposed to believe enough in themselves but be able to avoid arrogance? Perhaps it is a simple matter of each of us knowing our own strengths and weaknesses.

How difficult is it sometimes for us to receive compliments? The genuine acceptance of someone telling us we are good at something or thanking us for something we have done. I believe it is necessary to believe in ourselves before we can feel deserving of another's praise. In a way it becomes a simple gift yet so many of us grow uncomfortable with receiving a compliment that we immediately neutralize and minimize.

Today, I seemed to be amazingly unselfconscious and connected to what was happening around me. I believe I must have been experiencing some type of positive energy or karmic shift. For whatever reason, people were responding to me in a caring and engaging way, which only later did I realize was latently intoxicating. I have always tended to consider myself self effacing and a bit reserved, but capable of warmth around people whom I felt familiar and trusting towards. I'm more of the quiet observer than gregarious.

When we are given the gift of a compliment it should be accepted with grace. It isn't necessary to be apologetic or disregarding. If someone wants to say something nice to us or about us it is there way really of not only trying to connect with the person but also that they might like us. So why then is it embarrassing and self conscious of us not knowing what to say back? The most simple thing is to just acknowledge the other person's kindness and accept it as the true gift it was meant to be.

I once read in one of my psychology books that "we see ourselves as others see us". I thought that was a rather profound observation and base some of my basic beliefs on that perception. It just made alot of sense to me at the time and still holds true. I guess what that translates into is when we are acting positive and engaging toward others we tend to be reinforced by people's response to it. The more we act connected the more we feel connected.