How Complimenting Others Boosts Your Confidence

Many of us are actively working on our self-acceptance and confidence levels. While we may excel in those activities or relationships that we thought would help our self-love soar — like moving forward in your career, or finding new, exciting friendships or romantic partners — it can still feel like we aren’t dazzling like we should be.

Confidence is often fluid; it may be more amplified on some days and lower on others. But there’s one surefire way to boost your confidence, and that is paying compliments to others.

Imagine yourself during a bad day. You stubbed your toe when you got out of bed, your hair isn’t working with you, and it starts raining after you’ve already left the house without an umbrella. You may be feeling like the day is ruined, until someone pays you a genuine compliment.

Maybe your boss commends you on your hard work, or your partner reminds you how beautiful you are. These small acts of praise, while they may seem natural and almost insignificant to the person paying the compliment, can turn your whole day around. Suddenly you’re reminded that you’re capable, strong, and able to laugh off the shenanigans of the morning. The inspiration and motivation you now feel almost make up for that bruised toenail.

Whether they admit it, most people respond positively to praise and acceptance. It’s almost as if we’re hardwired to want others to acknowledge our talents and strengths — and when they do, it can make all the difference.

Complimenting Others Boosts Your Confidence

Taking a moment to recognize how meaningful it can feel when someone else pays you a heartfelt compliment can make it easier to understand how your own praise makes others feel. Everyone wants to be acknowledged, and when you take the time to fulfill that natural human desire for someone else, you can feel the positivity spreading.

Energy cannot stop itself from spreading; there are no invisible walls that can prevent energy from shifting. When someone comes into the office with a foul attitude, many can feel it, and it can bring down the mood of the entire room. Conversely, when someone enters the room with the glow of positivity, that energy spreads and has the potential to lift everyone up.

When you compliment someone else, you increase their positive energy. As their positive energy increases, so does yours. The act of praising others creates a symbiotic relationship between your energies, allowing each of you to feel lighter and more confident. Both of you will feel better through this one simple but effective action.

It is surprisingly easy to find something nice to say to someone else, even if it’s as simple as complimenting their blouse. You won’t feel insincere as long as you mean what you say

We never know what someone else is going through or dealing with in their personal life — or how much a little extra boost might mean to them.

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The Confidence You Project

You might be surprised at how small, easy actions can improve your self-acceptance and confidence. Even something as simple as shifting your body into a more confident pose can make you feel better about yourself.

When you compliment others, you appear confident and self-assured. It’s hard for anyone who feels insecure or self-loathing to build up the energy to praise others. Administering acknowledgement to others allows them to perceive you as confident—and you will begin to feel that confidence within yourself.

Beyond that, when you frequently pay compliments to those around you, you will learn to see the best in others. And as this point of view becomes second nature, it will extend to how you view yourself. You will begin to see the best in yourself, first and foremost, rather than immediately looking for flaws. No one is perfect, and it can be easy as pie to find the faults in ourselves and others. However, if you look for beauty, you’ll find it. If you look for the best in yourself and those around you, you’ll begin to see how wonderful human beings can be.

Collective Confidence

Within our culture, we’re still learning how important self-love and confidence are, and encouraging ourselves and others to embrace who they are builds the collective confidence of the globe. You can easily become a beacon of courage and self-love, helping others realize what gems they truly are.

And as you build others up, your spirit will continue to grow with the realization that you are unique, compassionate, gifted, and so much more special than you might have realized. Let’s work together to bring love and praise into our sphere, encouraging ourselves and others toward a life filled with appreciation for who we are.

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