05/19/2025
Here's a dose of Monday Motivation:
What happens to you when people acknowledge your greatness? For most, the knee-jerk (and very human reaction) is to deflect the attention by downplaying whatever compliment is being sent our way. For example, when someone acknowledges the great job we did on a project, task, or assignment, we may say, ”Oh, it was nothing.” If someone compliments our hair, clothes, or general appearance, we may deflect by self-sabotage, saying something like, “Oh, you think I look nice in this? It’s nothing, it’s the only clean thing I had!”
So, why do we react in this way? Just like anything else, there is no one perfect answer. However, there is a good amount of research that associates our mindset with how we react to compliments, and yes, our level of self-esteem plays a role in our reaction as well. Another fascinating aspect is our reaction to the surprise aspect of a compliment. In their book, "Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected,” authors Tania Luna and LeAnne Renninger share how being surprised can play a role in the discomfort associated with a compliment. Again, there is no one perfect answer, but here is the primary message I hope we can all start to embrace -
💡 Friend, I know your natural reaction, for whatever reason, may be to downplay whatever flowers are sent your way. I get it, but let’s work on training ourselves to embrace our hype by taking on this Motivational Monday Challenge:
👉🏾The next time someone gives you a big or small compliment, here is what I’m inviting you to do:
(1) Take a breath to help slow down your physical and emotional reaction
(2) Respond with Thank You
(3) Sit with the compliment for a minute or two. Give your brain a moment to take in the compliment and process it before you move to the next topic, meeting, or challenge.
I am telling you - you are truly worth the hype!
Wishing you a productive end to your Monday! Finish the day strong!