Everyone loves a compliment.
Wait. Strike that. Everyone loves a genuine, unsolicited, unreciprocal and unexpected (henceforth known as a GU3) compliment.
We’ve all been on the flip side and have received the fake (“This chicken casserole is so…um...unique! I never would have thought to pair Broccoli, Peanut Butter, and crushed Oreos in one dish….”), solicited (question “how does my butt look in these jeans?” answer “Amazing! You have the most amazing derriere I’ve ever seen!”), reciprocated (to someone “Wow! I’ve never seen someone do so well in a workout! You killed it!” their response “Thanks! I mean, you did well too…what was your time again?”), and expected (“Oh. My. Gah. You are such a beautiful bride!) compliments.
Those compliments….aren’t so special.
But if you have the good fortune of receiving a real GU3 compliment, well, I sure hope you aren’t afraid of heights because Cloud Nine will be taking you for a little ride!
With a lead in like that, is there any doubt that I was on the receiving end of such compliment recently?
And now, I shall share that story with you.
My sister came to visit and we were going to grab a bite to eat (if anybody asks, it was zoned, k?) and as I was putzing about my apartment getting “out in public” ready, talking about heaven knows what (the price of rice in China or something equally as inane), and my sister interrupts me to say (wait for it…here it comes) “Shannon, your legs look absolutely amazing.”
WASN’T THAT THE NICEST THING YOU HAVE EVER HEARD EVER, EVER?!?!
I know! I thought so too!
Then I had a momentary feeling of “I am a very shallow person,” and then I got over it. I’ve been Zoning, Advocaring, and CrossFitting my butt off for months now! You best be believin’ that I took that compliment, wrapped it in a blanket, tied it with a bow, locked it in a box, bedazzled said box and then put that beautiful, bedazzled, boy and box adorned blanket on display with a big neon arrow saying “GU3 Compliment. In case of an emergency or moment of severe doubt, open box for a feeling of pure elation”.
The timing of the compliment couldn’t have been better. I know I had results from the I Am CF Challenge - I’ve got those measurements on paper (that is also certified, framed, and dipped in bronze for good measure) as proof positive that I achieved results. But so far no one outside of CrossFit has said anything to me, and I haven’t personally noticed any life altering transformations (which I am choosing to take with a grain of salt since I am my own worst enemy) so while I know the results are there, I was beginning to wonder how much there they really were.
It also made me think. That one, silly little six word sentence really made my day/night/weekend. I think real compliments should be said out loud the moment they pop into your brain…you never know whose day you are going to make a little bit brighter.
So in the future don’t be alarmed if you hear me blurt out a compliment in Turrets-style, spontaneous fashion. Cloud Nine is fun and all, but it is more enjoyable with a little bit of company.
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