I Like Your Shoes!

Yesterday I was at Jack Trice Stadium (the only place to be on a Saturday in September, right?!) using the restroom before the game started.  As I approached the sinks, I noticed that a girl washing her hands had very cute yellow Nike athletic shoes on.  As I got closer to her, I debated whether or not to tell her that I liked her shoes.  "Ah, what the heck", I decided.  I tell her and she smiles big and replies with a "Thank you."  I felt good that I said something.

Then, as I am washing my hands, a girl walks up to the sink next to me and tells me she likes my sweatshirt.  This was the 2nd compliment I had gotten on my shirt that day, which made getting it 60% off even more awesome!  I smile back at the girl (who had the brightest smile ever) and tell her "Thank you" in the most sincerely cheerful voice I have.

I walked out of the bathroom thinking two things:  1) That was the happiest public bathroom experience I've had and 2) Compliments are so uplifting, whether giving or receiving them!

In a world of "not good enough" and so much judgment towards each other, I think we can all benefit from handing out more compliments.  I mean, who doesn't like to receive a compliment??  You never know when your nice comment to someone will brighten an otherwise dreary day they may be having.  Maybe your compliment is just the boost the person needed in some way.  Or perhaps, your comment will initiate a conversation that turns out great in so many other ways. 

My daughter gets told what pretty hair she has nearly every time we go somewhere.  She doesn't like the attention and I know that someday she will complain about her hair (because most of us do), and I so wish that I could bottle up all of the compliments she gets and replay them all back to her when she tells me she wishes she had curly hair instead.  Speaking of daughters...paying compliments to others in front of your children can only teach them something positive too.  I can't quite put in words what that would be...but I'm sure it's good ;)

The next time you find yourself thinking, "I like that person's ____"...go ahead and tell them!  If nothing else, it will make you feel good :)