Arielle's Word-of-the-Day: COMPLIMENT

June Blog Challenge Day 20: COMPLIMENT

This is another hard word for me to write about.  I take compliments like they are poison designed to slowly destroy me.  Compliments were always a butter-me-up then break-me-down experience.

Compliments make me cringe.  They make my heart pound wildly as if I've done something wrong.  Compliments do NOT feel good to me.  You'd think that after as many years as I've been in the classroom, and as many times parents have complimented me for my work with their children, I'd be better able to accept compliments.  Nope.

Article: Accepting Compliments

At one point, I was asked to keep a compliment log, and write down the good things and compliments people gave me.  I know the intent was to help me learn to see compliments as positive statements and not murderous words, but I'm telling you, keeping that log was torture!

However, I do have a coping mechanism that I try to follow... try being the key word there.  It doesn't always work.  My automatic response to a compliment is to rebuff it and compliment the compliment giver.  Instead, what I've been taught to try is telling the compliment giver a simple "thank you" and in my head, tell myself accepting this compliment won't kill me.  It may sound funny, but that's what I feel like - if I accept a compliment it's just going to turn around and hurt me.

As luck would have it, a blogger I follow tweeted an article yesterday called Accepting Compliments.  That's where this image comes from.  The article, though short, was quite powerful.  Here, take a peek and see if it resonates with you... (The link has been crabby, so if it doesn't work right away, try this one.)

Prompt: A compliment can be a difficult thing. Sometimes it’s foreign.  Sometimes it’s a masked insult. Sometimes we don’t know how to compliment ourselves. What power does a compliment hold for you? What role have compliments played in your life?