A few days ago I signed up for an online webinar for life coaching classes. One of the things they talked about is a lot of us do not know how to say Thank you. We often feel guilty when someone gives us a compliment. Now we don’t think on the surface we feel guilty; it is mostly subconsciously.
For example: When someone says,”Hey you look great in that dress” Most of us instead of saying thank you we will say something like,”OH I got it on sale, or you would look better in it than me”. This is a pattern I think I have had all of my life. It stemmed from childhood poverty, and adult insecurities left over from broken relationships. Somewhere along the line I never learned to just say Thank You!
After that hour webinar, I was so excited.I told myself I would practice saying Thank you–After all, If I did not think I deserved to look nice or have the things I was complimented on, what would make someone else believe I deserved those things?
I got up the next morning and walked through my day saying nice things to others, and accepting compliments. I am doing good, right? Well, last night I see a friend in the grocery store.
I never get to see Patti much anymore except on Facebook, so when I saw her my face lit up and we hugged. We exchanged what had been going on in each others lives, and then Patti does the THING… Yep, she said,”Michelle you look great! You look like a teenager!”
What do I do? I immediately fall back into my old way of thinking and say,” Why don’t I feel younger? I am sooo tired”. She looked at me and said,” Even if you feel tired you still look GREAT, so when someone tells you how great you look say Thank You; they will never know how you feel”. This is when I realized The Law of Attraction had kicked in! Patti was there to reinforce the promise I made to myself, to love myself. I said,” You know what? YOU ARE RIGHT! Thank you for reminding me of this”!
I got home after the grocery store and all night I thought to myself what made me retreat back into THAT girl? Then it hit me… I had seen my ex-fiancé, that use to constantly knock me down, and diminish myself worth. I saw him early in the day as I was meeting a friend for lunch. Why did I continue to let him have the power, to do that to me? Well, they teach you in order to clean the clutter out of your mind and environment you have to believe to receive. Believe you deserve to be treated better. I woke up this morning feeling a lot better. I knew I had people in my life encouraging me along on my journey and supporting me. People who loved me, and people who believed in me!
After running several errands today, I saw the flower shop and I realized it was a sign to give back. I turned my car around and went inside and looked for the perfect gift to give my friend. I found some yellow roses. I then went to the school where my dear friend Patti works and gave her the flowers. Her face was one of confusion; she looked at me and her eyes teared up. She said,”Michelle why are you giving me flowers”? I said,” because I just listened to a class the other day and the lesson was learning how to accept a compliment; I failed miserably when you complimented me. You for some reason knew what lesson I needed to learn, and you taught it lovingly and without judgment. Thank You for being my friend. I hope these flowers make your day as special as you made mine”.
Patti hugged me and said,”I am proud of all the changes you have made in your life and all the ones you are making now”. I looked at her and said, “THANK YOU”; you will never know how much your friendship has meant to me”. We said our goodbyes and I walked to my car, all the way I felt this weight being lifted from my heart. Thank you, Patti! Sending you my love…
For those of you out there struggling to make better choices in your life or just wanting some hope, my advice is to start with what is inside of you. Believe in yourself, then you will attract the things you want in your life. From every “Thank You” a new you is created!
~ Michelle Colon-Johnson
thank you Michelle. I believe the words you choose are full of power. So, “thank you” throws all kinds of good energy into the world. I suggest people NOT respond to like dave ramsey does “better than I deserve”. Receive it friends, you deserve it.
Thank you does indeed throw out all kinds of good energy! I love your insight on that.Thank you for reading my blog and for following my journey! I hope your journey is going wonderfully and that you have only have speed bumps to slow you down for everything that is wonderful and waiting for you right around the corner! Much Love! ~Michelle
Beautifully said Michelle… well done!
Julie, Thank you! Also thank you for being my spokes person on some of my blogs! 🙂
THANK YOU! Wonderful message my friend. Everyone needs strength and power and we must first love ourselves before we can truly love others. “…we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37-39). God’s Blessings Luv ~Dee Dee
http://chatwithdeedee.wordpress.com/
Dee Dee, My friend, I hope life is treating you kindly. Thank you for the beautiful Bible verse!
Reading your blog, brought tears to my eyes Michelle. I’m having one of those hard times, in life, when my open heart to an old partner feels its been abused, in a very vulnerable way. Wanting to believe the seeming loving words that he spoke, only for them to eventually turn to extreme nastiness…and the realization that I had to stop contact premanently with a restraining order and a police report…..
Learning self love, healthy boundaries, and that having peoples words and actions line up fairly consistently are the marks of true friendship….and that even though a kind loving heart can find a way to have compassion for troubled partners, that it doesn’t mean that I have to have them in my intimate circle any more, let alone as a partner….this has been a long lesson, that I have finally learned.
The pain of seeing my life long pattern of not setting this boundary has been overwhelming in the last week….as I celebrate my 51st birthday….feeling the emptiness of a lost relationship, and the opening for the space for new sprouts to grow.
Having your link placed on my facebook page today was a timely blessing. Thanks for being you and sharing your light. Love Satina
Satina, I am so glad my link found itself in your path. I am sure by now you have a beautiful garden!:) Wishing you many many blessings!
Thank you Michelle Colon Johnson! For all these advise. You always giving me an inspiration to BELIEVE myself. Thank you !
Mei yu Pan, Thank you for the kind words!I love that quote that Les Brown uses… We believe in the belief that other have in us, until the belief we have in our self kicks in! I believe in YOU! Much Love! ~Michelle