On Confidence & Compliments // #coconutcompliments
On paper, taking a compliment should be simple and easy and wonderful. Someone says something nice to you, you smile/thank them/appreciate it and then you can walk around all day with that nugget of positivity in your pocket like it's your own personal sunshine. If only feelings were that simple. And for some, they might be! But for me (and a lot of people I know), compliments can stir up this involuntary urge to drag those wonderful words down to a level that's more "realistic" and easy to swallow. An example from my life:
Nice human: "I like your skirt!"
Me: "Oh thank you, it's super old from Forever21 and it's kinda tight around the waist, but I figured I could try and dress it up to hide how ratty it's starting to look. It'll probably fall apart any day now!" *nervous laughter*
While I've gotten 100 times better at stopping myself from full on word vomit upon getting compliments, these moments still happen. And even though my mind screams, "SHUT UP AND JUST SAY THANK YOU," my mouth continues to try and disprove the compliment until I'm good and satisified. It's a bad habit that can be difficult to fight, but it's so important to sit down and realize that we are worthy of compliments, and we can be great and appreciated and own that without having to feel bad about it or play it down. It's amazing what a simple "thank you" in response to a compliment can signify. I'm partnering up with Kopari to help spread their message of encouraging ourselves and others to really think about what feelings stir up when you get a compliment, and actually receiving it without deflection or apology. Own your amazingness, appreciate that someone sees something wonderful in you, and then pass on the positivity to others. The skincare community is so wonderful about being uplifting and supporting others, and we can help spread that to our co-workers, friends, random people who have on really cool sunglasses or take amazing photos - you get the idea.
The other day I spritzed the Kopari Coconut Rose Toner on my face, and when my husband came in for a kiss he told me my face smelled nice (there's a subtle coconut scent to it). Sort of an odd compliment, but y'know, I'll take it. And I did! I didn't come back with the fact that he could probably also smell the "everything" bagel I had just consumed, I just said thank you, kissed him and then proceeded to continue spritzing my face throughout the day. Small victories.
So the next time someone compliments your glowy skin or how fresh faced you look, let's try to step away from pointing out all our flaws (I am guilty of this), and proudly take the compliment. Oh and by the way, you look really amazing today.
