Letting Go Of The "Yes, but…"

Compliments. People give compliments to others every day. You get them. You give them out and probably without a second thought. It seems so easy to pay someone a compliment.

Have you ever considered the response you give when you receive a compliment?

The conversation may go something like this:

“Did you get your hair cut? It looks so cute and I love the color.”

Your response, “Yes, I got it cut, but the color ended-up being darker than I thought it was going to be. I’ll try something new next time.”

Example two – while you’re at work:  

“You did a really good job during the webinar presentation yesterday. The attendees provided great feedback during the Q&A and your delivery went really smooth.”

Response, “Thanks, but I jumbled up a couple slides and had a hard time answering a few questions. I’ll rehearse more for the next one.”

Sound familiar? People can offer the best of compliments and rather than internalize the ones we receive, we often give a reply with a “Yes, but…”

It’s important to embrace the little wins, accomplishments and compliments that others acknowledge, especially as moms. It’s a wonderful thing that can motivate you as well. Why not accept the compliments people give you?

Let the “Yes, but…” go to embrace the positive. If you feel the “Yes, but…” start to come out after receiving a compliment, reel it back in with a pause before you respond.

Allow yourself to accept the gem of a compliment that was just given to you!