Say something nice today, do it again

National Compliment Day is celebrated on January 24. This day is meant to brighten someone’s day or give credit for their accomplishments. When people “fish for compliments,” the comments are not necessarily genuine, but stating unsought after compliments can show that you notice things, both big and little, that a person does for you or the community.

Be sincere when you offer compliments. We have a natural instinct for sensing dishonesty and saying something positive is not effective when you don’t actually mean it.

Here are some examples of positive compliments:

1. “You’re a great listener.”
2. “You’re inspiring.”
3. “You’re so thoughtful.”
4. “You look great today.”

Here is a list of some backhanded compliments that don’t build people up:

1. “The way you overcame your disability is so inspiring”
2. “You look great, have you lost weight?!”
3. “You’re so pretty for a [insert ethnicity/minority here]

A backhanded compliment is a comment that blurs the line between insult and compliment. By nature, you can miss them, but here is how you can recognize them. Some are about the receiver, but compared to something else making him or her seem subpar.

Another example is unnecessary observations, including a nice thought, as well as an observation about habits or character that probably was never considered by the receiver but will linger on his or her mind longer than the positive.

Looking for more examples? Check here: compliments.

Looking for more things to avoid? Check here: backhanded compliments

On National Compliment Day, practice the positives and use them to make a habit of uplifting others.