In honour of World Compliment Day, let’s talk about what we can do to make someone else smile today. I truly believe that words can change the world. Now before you stop reading, let me explain. I am not under the naïve belief that we can put an end to racism and world hunger by sitting around the campfire and singing Kumbaya – although we’ve never tried it, so that could work – but I do think that we have lost the value of sharing kind words with one another. One needs only to look as far as social media comments to see that this intense obsession with tearing people down is running rampant across our society.
What if we all made a conscious effort to change that? Maybe the key is to challenge ourselves to give another person one compliment a day. Really. To make a conscious effort to go out of your way to be nice to other people for the sake of building them up instead of tearing them down. It may sound crazy, but aren’t the craziest ideas the ones that seem to change the course of humanity? Words have the power to really shift things into perspective for people, change their day, and maybe even change a persons heart.
If you’re anything like me, then you are probably assuming that this topic doesn’t apply to you, right? I mean, you’re probably not as bad as some of those people who post rude things on other peoples pages or say salacious words behind peoples backs, but you’re probably not as good as Mother Teresa either. I think the absence of kind words is almost as harsh as purposely hurting someone. If you say nothing, then you’re not helping the problem. What we need is a constant stream of beauty being poured out and lavished on one another.
Don’t make this about yourself either. I think true kindness and love is altruistic. It’s putting the other persons needs in front of your own for the express purpose that you just wanted to lavish a bit of love on them. It doesn’t need to be some big extravaganza. Just a simple thought expressed out in the open to another human being. It might even be better if it’s a stranger. Personally, a compliment from a stranger can set the right mood for my entire day. I love hearing someone who has no obligation spread joy and beauty just for the sake of it.
Watch the ways in which your words begin to lift the spirits of those around you. Maybe a compliment can encourage someone to pay it forward, and you may be the first to start the avalanche. Don’t sell yourself short. Someone could be waiting for you to send them a kind word or two; all you need to do is speak up and speak out to those around you.
I don’t know your situation, and I have no idea where you are at on the kindness spectrum. Quite possibly you could be the one in need of a kind word. Well, like attracts like. Start spreading words of light to others and see what happens to you in return. See how the energy around you shifts by shifting your thoughts. It’s not an ocean of change, but it’s a drop, and maybe that’s all we need right now. Start spreading some compliments around. The world is waiting.
