Compliments

When did compliments become so scary?

A long time ago I resolved to focus on and express appreciation for the good I see in others. When I think someone looks good, I'm going to tell them. When a person performs well, I'm going to tell them. When someone does or is something that is deserving of recognition, I express that. I do everything in my power to be honest and sincere, I avoid empty flattery, and I work to express myself in a timely and appropriate way. But I know so many wonderful people, people that deserve more praise then I could ever hope to give them, that choose not to accept compliments. Whether they make a joke of it and push it aside, or ignore it, or simply choose not to believe it, any attempt at a sincere compliment is reduced to shaking air. I cannot find an effective way to impress upon these individuals my sincerity, and it hurts. It hurts because they need to have a healthy appreciation of the good in themselves, and it hurts because they regard what I say as something less than truth.

When I give someone a compliment I am expressing my love for them. Whether I've just met them or I've known them for years doesn't matter, sincere praise is an expression of love. When an individual disregards the sincere praise that I give to them, they're disregarding my feelings for them. I know that they don't intend to hurt me, but this is what happens.

I recognize that there are so many reasons for doubting the good in ourselves. I also recognize that there are just as many reasons to doubt others. I and my contemporaries also happen to be in a pivotal and monumental time of life; marriage, starting a family, beginning a career, even just learning to live on our own gives everything so much more weight, so much more value. Because of this (and so much more) it can be terrifying to think of trusting another person enough to let them influence our lives.

But why should we fear it? It's because of this incredible value and monumental importance that we should cherish the good we find in others and in ourselves. We should be open and honest about how we feel, and cherish the feelings of others. There is so much riding on our development and success, there is so much of life yet to be lived. Why then should we limit our experience? Why throttle our emotions? Why deny the emotions of others? Why should we be surprised when we see good in others? Why should we be afraid when others see the good in us? I say that we ought to love, and be loved in return.

Yes, we need to exercise caution. Yes, we're gonna get hurt now and again. But we should never, ever sacrifice the good because we're afraid of the bad. We only need prepare ourselves, fill ourselves with love and respect and concern for ourselves and those around us, and we can be successful in any instance.

I cannot see any reason for fear.

Amen to That

I watched this CES Fireside last Sunday and it was absolutely what I needed to hear. My favorite part was the bit about the "mask of anonymity".

http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/languages/ces-devotionals/2012/03?lang=eng

I Fell Like A Waif

As my health has declined these past few weeks I've felt my progression change. It's weird to put words to the idea, but it's as if I'm on a six lane highway and I have to slow down so that my car will last the trip. But as I slow down I both pay more attention to my vehicle and to the movements of the cars around me. Now take this concept of movement and relative speed, leave the people, and replace the cars with spheres of influence and the highway with experience. (Also recognize that, for the purposes of this monologue, an individual's sphere of influence is almost entirely their self.) When I interact with others I feel like I can see them moving around and past me, I can see them moving through the ether taking advantage of the opportunities that appear. I can almost literally see them move. I can see these people around me, with the capacity to fulfill their potential, progressing towards that fulfillment. It seems to me that my potential rivals the best of them, but that I am incapable of moving with the swiftness and direction that they have.  

From this viewpoint I see people that I would fit with, I see groups of individuals moving in tandem and heading towards a common end, I see this vast community of people defined in large part by their movement and speed relative to one another and to an encompassing standard. And yet, invariably, I cannot keep up with them. I cannot become a member of their group despite being a member of their community. I must move at a different pace because of my condition, because of my limitations, and because of that I am left behind. Not so much left behind, but left between. I move from group to group not because I choose to, not because of some noble ability to fly here and there on a whim, but because the groups around me are always changing. In slowing down I have become an anomaly in this ever changing environment, and because of that I often find myself alone.

When I move through a group (or a group moves around me) I become a temporary member. I have a fleeting glance at that group's inner workings during a brief period of interaction and mutual influence, but then we continue at our respective speeds and separate. I most often find myself between groups; I find myself alone physically, emotionally, and intellectually at different times and in different ways. And there are some absolutely terrifying times when I find myself alone in every way at once. 

I feel like there has to be a fairly large change before I'll be a more permanent member of a group. I don't know if I have to remove the circumstances that limit my pace or if I have to find someone to pull me along. I know that these are both things that I want, but I don't know if either is a lasting solution (let alone the best solution). I don't even know if there is a solution, or if I need a solution. Maybe my unique pace and perspective grant me some profound autonomy, some blessed ability to move in more meaningful and deliberate ways. 

I don't know. I fell like a waif amongst these distinctions and now I try and make the best of what I don't know. Thrilling moments of connection and belonging punctuate the otherwise empty space between groups within a community. All I know for certain is that I have to keep moving.