Compliments Please!

Why is it so hard to take compliments?

THEN: Before kids, I could take a compliment any day and welcomed them! Who wouldn’t like a guy ‘oogling’ over them at the bar or telling them they looked good? In my eyes THEN, I had no ‘flaws.’ I was proud to show off the body God gave me. I was given a compliment and I smiled and said ‘thank you,’ sometimes it even led to talking more with someone.

NOW: 15 some years and four amazing kids later, unfortunately my grace in taking compliments, is no longer present. My husband compliments me all the time, ‘you look gorgeous,’ ‘those pants make your butt look amazing,’ ‘your hair looks cute today,’ I_could_go_on! I usually just brush it off, laugh and give him an eye roll, or give him a halfhearted ‘thanks.’  The truth is, he is going out of his way to tell me what he thinks, I should at least give a ‘thank you’ and a hug or kiss or look at him and tell him I appreciate it.

The same goes with my friends. I met up with a longtime friend that I hadn’t seen for over 15 years for some drinks. When we greeted each other, he said ‘you look great, you haven’t changed.’ In my head I was thinking, yeah right, no way is he serious! Out loud I chuckled and said, ‘oh thanks!’ Another day I was at the gas station and I heard someone whistle. I looked around to see who it was and who it was directed at. Come to find out, the guy in the gas lane next to me staring at me and smiling. He said, ‘man mama, you look good!’ I didn’t know what to say as a response, so I leaned my head in my car and started talking to my kids. Why_couldn’t_I_just_say_thank_you?

It all comes down to how we see ourselves. Back THEN I saw nothing but beautiful…NOW I see how much I’ve changed. I’ve had four kids and man_do_they_take_a_toll_on_your_body! Not only that, but I am never going to snap back to my 110 lb body from THEN!

Here’s the things, I know I am grateful for; being able to have kids, for being able to exercise and for others to still feel the urge to compliment me. It comes down to the way we see ourselves vs. how other see us. We should try and see ourselves through the eyes of others. They see how far we’ve come in life and the obstacles we overcome. Sometimes our eyes only see what’s close and in the current picture frame.

 

THEN                                                   NOW

How are you at taking compliments?! Does it come natural and easy for you to proudly accept them?