Day 11: Praise

There are two parts to this.  First, what do people praise you for?  What compliments do you get most often?  Do you receive these compliments graciously or do you deny them and push them aside, feeling unworthy?  

Second, what praise do you most love to receive? When we receive love and praise for things that are deeply meaningful to us, it affirms a calling we have inside that we may or may not fully understand.  The goal of this exercise is to give yourself more credit and pay more attention to the light that you naturally offer to the world.  

Up until last year, I did not know how to accept a compliment. Up until a year before that, I didn’t realize I didn’t know how to take a compliment. All compliments were usually met with a deflection to a flaw, or a simple “That’s not true,” or “No I’m not.” I didn’t realize how negative and rude it may come off to the person giving the compliment, hell, I didn’t even realize I was doing it in the first place. But since noticing it, I do my best to not over analyze the statements. I pause, accept what is being said, and always say thank you… unless it’s a blatant lie.

The compliments I receive the most come from my writing and surprisingly, as of recent, my looks.

I love hearing that my words have resonated with someone. It really does brighten my day. If readers take something from what I have to share, it means a job well done. Story-telling, blogging, writing… it’s an art, despite what I’ve been told lately. Having the tits (not balls, but tits) to share your experiences with the world takes a lot out of you, especially if you’re as private I am. So while I take this risk of chronicling my successes and my fuck-ups, my happiness and my sorrows, the rewards of hearing “hey, I feel like that too,” are priceless and heartwarming.

And the compliments on my pretty smile and captivating eyes? Ehh… I guess I dig those too 😛