Go Ahead....Make My Day!!

This morning as I sat frantically typing away on my blackberry during my daily train commute, the man sitting behind me tapped me on the shoulder. I rolled my eyes, slightly bothered, turned around and looked at him. I was in a bit of a bad mood; too much unhealthy food over the weekend, not enough sleep, and a mad rush out of the house because we overslept this morning all contributed to a dreary attitude. As I turned around to meet his gaze, I was less than impressed and thought to myself that it was way too early and I was way too tired to deal with some Brett Micheals look-a-like hitting on me this morning! He smiled at me and said,
"Oh, my God! Your hair! I love it. It is so amazing, wild and crazy and sexy! It looks fantastic!" I was raised with some manners, so I smiled sweetly, thanked him for the compliment, and returned to my text messaging. Now personally, I thought I looked as if I had been attacked by wolves this morning. I had done absolutely nothing with the hair other than dampen it slightly, spray on some Beach Wave lotion to give it some "oomph" and made a mad dash out the door to catch my cab to the train. I also had no eye makeup on and no sunglasses to hide the fact I had no eyemake up on (I left them and my reading glasses at home in my haste to get out the door). I thought I looked pretty darn awful!

As I watched this obviously "blind-as-a-bat" guy get off the train at the next stop, I realized something. Since the moment he gave me that compliment I had been smiling, both inside and out. My whole demeanor had changed. As I stepped off the train a little later, there was a spring in my step and my burdens seemed a little lighter. As I looked up toward the brightly shining sun, squinting slightly without my sunglasses, I thanked God for such gorgeous weather! That guy had unknowingly made my day and its hectic and difficult beginning was long forgotten.

Here's my point in all this. A compliment is contagious. Regardless of who it comes from or who you give it to, it doesn't really matter. It can make you feel better about your day and you can single-handedly turn the events of someone else's other-wise dreary day into something wonderful just by offering a kind word or gesture!

Don't be stingy with your compliments. Sometimes we see something we like and refrain from saying something. We don't want the other person to think we are "hitting on them" or being disingenuine. We think what we say won't matter and that the person probably KNOWS their hair is gorgeous, or their eyes are the most beatiful any one has ever seen, the handbag they are carrying is simply "to-die-for", or they look sharp in their suit. Don't worry about what they think. Don't worry about what they say. It doesn't matter. Offer the compliment anyway. Not only will you make someone else possibly feel better, but in turn, you will feel better too. That's all part of the magic and beauty of the universe!

And this is my Daily Cyn.....