Skip to main content

Mindful Compliments

Exercise for you: once a day, look out for someone close to you - can be a family member, colleague, boss, Facebook friends, relatives or just friends - and give them a Mindful Compliment.

Most people give compliments that are neither mindful nor meaningful.  Many are just flatteries, some are even sarcasms disguised as compliments.  Others compliment just for the sake of it, with no intention or mindfulness behind.

Many people commented that when they give out compliments, the receiving person often block it."Oh, I am not perfect", or "Not really", "Today I am not in top form" or even start analysing the compliment and give their comment or rebuttal of it.

In fact, being given a compliment creates vulnerability.  Some people may become wary of compliments at work, for the compliment from the boss often follows some kind of extra work and stress.  In adolescence, people often get compliments and later were stalked or teased.  Many people are not sure if the compliment was meant sincerely or was designed to make them the butt of a joke.  That's why many people give compliments in a joking manner.  They often don't take compliments seriously and rebut a compliment as if it were a joke in order to protect themselves from potential embarrassment.

Today let's learn how to give out Mindful Compliments - the kind of compliments that do not have any negative connotations or meanings.

Firstly, the compliment has to be specific, not general.

Secondly, it has to be timely and the timing must be right or the result will be hilarious.  Like your compliment of my good looks when I'm in a hurry will make me suspicious instead.

Thirdly, centre the compliment around something that touched you, because this type of compliment promotes a sense of connection and intimacy.  "I was touched by how you took the trouble to take those pictures and share with us.  Thank you. "

Fourthly, compliment things that the person has done, not what he has.  Many people are very uncomfortable about temporary or conditional qualities such as beauty or wealth because they know that such qualities are serendipitous intersections of hereditary and cultural norms.  Besides, such qualities are impermanent and is just a temporary gift.  In time to come people will age and their beauty will fade.  That's why we don't compliment people for their beauty, but for what they have done to make themselves look beautiful.

Fifthly and lastly, compliment by stating your feelings, not your judgement or conclusion.  This is because your judgement or conclusion may not be agreeable, but people can relate to feelings, even if it something they disagree.  Say things like "I feel you look better in here" instead of "You look better in here".  

So bear in mind the above 5 points and give out Mindful Compliments today.  Related articles:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

If Not You, Who Else?

I learnt this very powerful 5-word phrase from Singapore's highest ever box-office movie ever: "Ah Boys to Men II". In one scene, the recruits were about to start their 3-day field camp.  Their Officer-in-Command asked them, "Before we moved out, anybody not feeling well?"  All the soldiers replied loudly, "No Sir!!!" "Gentlemen", continued the Officer, "Every time the training gets tougher, one thought comes to your mind, 'Why Must I Serve National Service?' "My answer to you is, 'If Not You, Then Who Else?'" Wow!  What a powerful phrase!  If Not You, Who Else may mean: You are the most suitable person, and we can't find anyone better than you.  This is appreciation at the highest level How can you push this responsibility to someone else? I am making a request to you specifically, please don't reject my request Can you find me another person more suitable than you? Please refer me anot...

No More Panting Since Changing My Mobile Number: Mobile Numergology Power

How I Became a Fortune Teller: Leveraging NLP, Fear and Greed, and Motivational Theories

Becoming a fortune teller wasn’t part of my childhood dreams. It started as an experiment, fueled by my curiosity about human behavior and the subtle forces that drive our decisions. Over time, what began as a study of psychology and human interaction evolved into an unexpected career—one where I use the tools of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), the primal drivers of fear and greed, and motivational theories to help people uncover their paths. The First Step: Understanding the Human Psyche I was always fascinated by why people do what they do. During my university years, I studied psychology, particularly the works of Abraham Maslow, B.F. Skinner, and Victor Vroom. Their theories provided insights into motivation, reinforcement, and decision-making. But I wanted to move beyond the academic realm and see how these theories worked in real life. Around this time, I discovered NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). This framework for understanding communication and behavior is based on the...