Yesterday, I was at personal training when I commented on my age and Lindsey said I looked twenty years younger than that. Now, I know some of that was exaggeration and I almost scoffed (in a friendly way, obviously) when something stopped me so I just laughed about not feeling like that after the session on the exercise bike (NOT my favourite) and said thank you.
Later on, I had to go to Morrisons and met one of the ladies who works there who I've known for quite a while through school. She looked at me and said 'If you lose any more weight, you'll fade away. You look amazing!'. Again, I almost said something denying it but stopped myself and said 'thanks' before asking how it was going for her (she does SW too, at a different time). If I'd pushed it away, she might not have felt she could tell me she's lost two stones and is so pleased about it. We'd both have been the poorer.
This isn't about what they said, it's about my reaction to it. Both times, I nearly put myself down, nearly said something negative.
That would have been so rude, so ungrateful and it really set me thinking. If people are kind enough to say something nice, who am I to hurt them by reacting in such a way. It's not only rude, it's ungrateful and like a slap and, goodness knows, we need all the kindness we can get in this world of ours.
So I feel encouraged. Encouraged because people made lovely comments and encouraged because I'm learning, slowly, to be kind to myself as well as appreciating and being kind to others. You shouldn't build yourself up by pushing others down but neither should you do the reverse - put yourself down but build others up.
Love others as you love yourself.
Worth working on, isn't it?
It's a very British thing I think, isn't it? If someone compliments me on a what I'm wearing, I find myself saying 'oh, I've had it ages' or 'it's from a charity shop' - why is it so hard to just say 'thank you!' and smile? I am going to try harder in future!
ReplyDeleteIt's odd, isn't it? Very strange.
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