Giving a compliment to someone else is one of the most impactful things you can do for someone. Receiving a compliment is like getting an unexpected hug from a friend. There is a little boost of dopamine that just makes your whole day brighter. Who doesn’t love that?

Recently Nice News asked readers to send in memorable compliments they had received .

In addition, an embedded video in the article from Jefferson Fisher highlights three things you can do to give better compliments. View both the compliments and the video below.

https://nicenews.com/humanity/best-compliments-nice-news-readers-received/

Reading the memorable compliments and watching the video really made me think about how I give compliments to others. Often I will say things like, “I like your shirt” or “I’m proud of you.” After viewing the article above, I realize that I need to take things one step further. I need to be more specific about why I like the shirt or why I’m proud of someone. I also need to make the focus of the compliment on the person and not on the object or the action. For example, instead of saying, “I like your shirt,” I should say something like, “That shirt really looks good on YOU.” See how that’s different? In the second example, the focus is on the person, not on the shirt. That type of compliment will have a lot more impact than a simple compliment about how you like someone’s shirt.

Granted, nearly any way you compliment is better than no compliment at all. Compliments allow a connection that is unique to both participants. The complimentee gets the warm fuzzy of getting the compliment. Often they might not even be aware of something until you point it out. Sometimes, we are so distracted by the small negative voice in our head we don’t expect a compliment.

Giving a compliment also gives a little boost to the complimenter. When the recipient reacts positively (usually through a smile or a thank you), the complimenter also feels good about what they have done. So good flows both ways. A connection is made!

Giving a compliment is just one of those things that can brighten up everyone’s world and send little ripples of kindness out into the world.

Since we are talking about kindness, what is the best compliment you have ever received? I’ll go first. Mine is that people sometimes tell me I am very kind. I can’t think of a better thing for someone to say about me than that!