The Power of a Compliment

Imagine you're going about your day, and things are less-than-awesome. Maybe you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or the world flipped a switch once you set foot out of the door, and you're ready for the day to be over already. You get stuck in traffic due to an accident and are late to work, all eyes on you when you walk (I mean, run) in. Or you are in the accident and don't make it into the office at all. Then you order lunch and it's wrong, or you're working so hard that you simply don't have time to eat a thing. 

Then you meet with your supervisor and... you know that project you've been working on for 3 months and are almost done with? Scrap it. They're thinking of going on another direction. And no, it's not at all related to the existing work you've done. Time to chalk it up, accept that today wasn't one of your best days, and silently wish that you could press "fast-forward" and bypass all of the other instances of B.S. the day is sure to bring.

Then you walk to your car, as the day as you know it is done. You're ready to get a workout in, make some dinner and then hit the hay, pronto. You get home about to start your routine, and check your cell phone. You see a text from one of your friends living overseas. It reads:

"Just got your birthday card- I can't believe you still remember every single year! You're one of the most thoughtful people I know. The world needs more people like you."

I needed that, you think to yourself. 

And maybe today wasn't so "bad." Maybe it was a day full of challenges, but at the end of it, you're still breathing, prizing your relationships above all else, and deciding not to discount this day as one for the discard pile. Instead, it's become a day that's unremarkable aside from it's trials and tribulations, but one of the most precious gifts you've received in a long time, all thanks to the power of one compliment. The kind that shows you that your life is so much more than what could go wrong (and does) on a Monday morning.