Saying Thanks with a Compliment

Two, four, six, eight… who do you appreciate?

It may be a family member, your best friend, your coworker or that awesome second-grade teacher you still keep in touch with. Have you stopped to thank these wonderful souls and let them know how much you appreciate everything they do? If not, there’s no time like the present. If you still need a little encouragement though, there’s always National Compliment Day. 

This January 24^th holiday, created in 1998 by New Hampshire residents Kathy Chamberlin and Debby Hoffman, was designed to showcase the power of compliments. Compliments can instill confidence in children and adults alike. They can improve the mood around our offices, the efficiency in our homes and the productivity in our schools. If that weren’t enough, they can lead to less stress and healthier lives.

Sounds pretty complimentary, right?

If you’d like to give someone that long overdue thank you, here are some things to remember:

Try to be original. Take some time to reflect on what it is about the other person that you admire and build your compliment from there.

Try to be sincere. Nothing is worse than fake compliments. Give a compliment because you mean it, not because you’re expected to.

Try not to manipulate. The point of giving compliments is to show appreciation, not to maneuver someone into doing what you want. 

So don’t let National Compliment Day pass you by. Better yet, make any day a compliment day and let others know how much you appreciate what they do.