Today's Way was actually submitted by Sweetie, who suggested it to me because she already does this.Sweetie compliments everybody, and on more than just their looks. She tells people that they look good, but she also tells them that they're good at their jobs, that they're nice, that they're friendly, and more. Sweetie is not just polite, but complimentary, to everyone.
Last night, then, Sweetie said she thought one of the Ways should be just that: Say nice things to people. She put it this way: "I'm not saying that you have to go around complimenting everybody. But of the seven nice things you think, say two of them."
She also tries to compliment people on more than just their looks, because she believes that focusing on looks is bad for people and bad for society: "It leads people to get plastic surgery and botox" and other things, and she's opposed to that. She said that maybe if someone had ever just told Priscilla Presley that she was a good person, as opposed to just that she was good-looking, then maybe Priscilla would have had some self-esteem and not wrecked herself with plastic surgery.
Sweetie's thoughts on this are also that you make people's days a little better when you compliment them, and "That's what makes the world a better place, right?"
In all the years I've known Sweetie, I've heard her have negative thoughts about others... almost never. And she rarely voices them. But she does compliment people all the time, and now she's suggesting that we all do what she does.
I've modified hers a little, since Sweetie already thinks nice things. The rest of us have to learn to think nice things first, then to say them to people. But try it today, following Sweetie's advice: "Tell someone they're good with their kids, or talented."
Prior entries:
30/31. Impose a luxury tax that increases exponentially the more people spend/Never watch another Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie movie again.
13. Ban driving any kind of automobile, motorcycle or other personal vehicle within 1-2 miles of downtown in any city with a population of more than 100,000.
12. Abolish gym class; instead, teach kids to play musical instruments.
11. Change copyright laws to allow anyone to use anyone else's creative work provided that the copier pay 60% of the profit to the originator and that the copier not cast the original work in a negative light.
10. Have more sidewalk cafes and outdoor seating.
9. When you have to give someone a gift, ask them what they want, and then get that thing for them.
8. Never interrupt or finish someone's jokes.
7. Periodically, give up something you like for at least a month.
6. Switch to "E-money."
5. Have each person assigned one phone number, and then add an extension for the various phones and faxes that person might be reached at.
4. Abolish Mondays and Tuesdays.
3. Don't listen to interviews with athletes or comedians.
2. Have "personal cashiers" at the grocery store.
1. Don't earn more than $200,000 per year.
2 comments:
I think the main change is not the saying of the compliments, as much as it is noticing the things worth complimenting. I'm not sure I do think of two or three or even, as was suggested, seven nice things in any given situation, except that I do try to notice things, especially where it's people putting in effort (be it their work or hairstyle). Women especially, but maybe I ought to give my man friends some love too.
This is a challenge when you are facing a person whom you would want to run away from! LOL! How can I compliment my coworkers when I know that they hate me---or they are just simply unlikable? Would not talking bad about them be counted? I guess not coz I have to say them, right. This is tough! But I would definitely give it a try..and maybe perhaps they would hate me less.
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