The C Word...

com·pli·ment   /n. ˈkɒmpləmənt; v. ˈkɒmpləˌmɛnt/
[n. kom-pluh-muhnt; v. kom-pluh-ment]

–noun
1. an expression of praise, commendation, or admiration: A sincere compliment boosts one's morale.

I just received a compliment. Me! Moi! Yours truly! About this blog none-the-less. And it got me thinking - why do we hesitate to cheer each other on?

Here I go again with "the journey" but through trials and tribulations, misunderstandings and mistakes, I've realised that everyone, for the most part, are doing the best they can. It may not be to our liking. It may even drive us bonkers. But really, if they aren't doing any harm, it's just a different point of view. Talk about a ding-dong a-ha lightbulb moment?! So much agro and friction disappeared from my life when I finally realised that. And I can't tell you how much I appreciate when this is applied to me.

I may speak English and be one step away from wearing Union-Jack head-to-toe, singing Rule Britannia but it is true that you can take the girl out of Aussie but not Aussie out of the girl and even ten years later, I am still surprised at the cultural differences and the near misses in miscommunication.

So while I don't advocate false praise or a Pollyanna attitude, if you feel it and believe it, why not say it. You could make someone's day.

Thanks for the warm, fuzzy compliment!