Today I want to talk about compliments.
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| no, that's not a compliment... |
As a very girly girl, I love giving (and receiving!) compliments. It feels good to be complimented, and complimenting others makes them feel happier, not to mention makes everyone think more positively.
But, in light of all the compliments given out, are there so many women who feel like they're not good enough?
Maybe part of the problem is that the majority of these compliments are hollow. The majority of compliments are about your external appearance. And those make you feel good for an instant, but they don't last. Why? Because clothes, hairstyles and makeup are all temporary. And therefore, so are the compliments.
We live in a world based on materialism, and appearance... so that's what we compliment. And complimenting looks is not necessarily bad, they're lovely and complimenting others is something that comes naturally to many girls. I in no way want them to stop. But maybe we should also be telling our friends how clever/funny/caring/talented they are! (Because, let's face it, if they're our friends they definitely are!)
We as girls and women need to be telling each other that they are valuable because of who we are and what we do. Let's face it, one day we'll be old and wrinkly (and therefore by societies standard's "ugly"), but the impact we make on the world will last.
One day, I would like to have a daughter (or a few!) and I hope to encourage her in the things that matter. I want to encourage her to be talented, passionate, caring and thoughtful. And I want her to know, that no matter how she does her make-up or her hair, or what clothes she wears, that she is valuable and important. That's not to say I don't want her to enjoy putting on make-up, wearing nice clothes and doing her hair... In fact, if she's anything like me, she probably will! But it's not all that matters in life. I would love her to grow into a woman who tells others that she loves their creativity, or their easy-going personality, who makes people feel really good and tells others that no matter what they look like, they have something great to offer the world.
Because we all do.
