Learning to consciously appreciate and acknowledge people's virtues is something I've discovered can make a person feel really great about themselves. As someone who’s naturally inclined to look out for the downsides about circumstances and people – myself no less (more so actually) – and in earnest pursuit of becoming my best self, I came up not too long ago with a strategy to compensate for my apparent penchant for nitpicking. Over time, I've made it a point of duty to work at figuring out at least one unique thing about each person I come across and spend time with, and going ahead to amply compliment them about whatever it is, even if it would mean going out of my way.
I’d say I’ve been pretty successful at keeping this resolution of mine, and that I’m motivated to never relent. Why? Well because I feel pretty fulfilled simply knowing that I’ve contributed in any measure at all to making the people around me feel more positive about themselves. I find it particularly satisfying when I'm able to genuinely come up with less banal and generic compliments than the archetypal ones about looks, dress sense, writing ability or musical genius, and rather express my admiration for the way a person expertly handled a distinctly challenging situation or daunting task, for instance.
Sometimes it’s about appreciating a person’s undeniable devotion to a particular cause that they are evidently passionate about, or saluting their superhuman resilience in the face of extreme difficulty. Other times it could be about commending the seeming ease with which they sincerely forgive the ones who have offended them, or applauding the sheer tenacity with which they hold on to the principles on which their lives are founded.
The truth is that it always feels good when a person’s deliberate efforts at becoming a better person or making the world a better place don’t go unnoticed, and no one ever forgets the people who have gone the extra mile to really see, appreciate and acknowledge these efforts. They never forget how good they felt, or how much they smiled.
Wouldn’t you want to be the reason someone smiles?
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