1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to accept compliments graciously. Many of us 4 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: have a tendency to bat compliments away or belittle ourselves 5 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: in response, but it's much healthier for ourselves and others 6 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: to come up with ways to acknowledge the truth of 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: the compliment and just be thankful. Today's tip, like a 8 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: few others this week, comes from Meredith Feynman's new book, 9 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 1: Brag Better, Master The Art of Fearless Self Promotion. Some 10 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: people are over the top braggarts, but a lot of 11 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 1: us suffer from the delusion that good work speaks for itself. 12 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: It can, but often it needs a little amplification. Fine 13 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: Men talks about a sketch from the inside Amy Schumer Show, 14 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: when a group of female friends go around complimenting each other. 15 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: When someone says something nice, the recipient responds by immediately 16 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: trashing herself. When it gets to Amy, she decides to 17 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: accept the compliment, and her friend's heads just blow off. Yep, 18 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: pretty much many of us, Fineman notes, have been taught 19 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: to overdo the modesty. However, it's totally possible for you 20 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: to accept praise without your head blowing off. She writes 21 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: that letting others celebrate your accomplishments can make you feel good, 22 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: let your legacy carry on, and also bring goodwill and 23 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: joy to those around you. One obvious response to a 24 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: compliment is just thank you. You can, in fact, just 25 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: leave it at that. If a simple thank you feels 26 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: a little incomplete, then come up with something that reflects 27 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: well on the person who complimented you, like thank you, 28 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: that's so thoughtful of you to point out, or thank you, 29 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: I really appreciate your support. If you like, you can 30 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: use the compliment to pivot to a trait that you 31 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: feel more sure of. If someone tells you that your 32 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: presentation was brilliant, you don't have to say yes, I'm brilliant. 33 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: You could say thank you, I worked really hard on it, 34 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: or thank you, I'm glad you thought all my practice 35 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: paid off. If it makes sense to accept the compliment 36 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: by sharing some of the basking, well you can go 37 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: for that too. If someone tells you that she loves 38 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 1: your shoes, well thanks, my sister helped me pick them out. 39 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: She has such great taste, or even better, you can 40 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: always pivot the compliment into a direction of more great 41 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: things in the future. If someone compliments you on how 42 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: well you ran that meeting, you can say thanks, I'd 43 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: love to present to some bigger groups in the future. 44 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: Or if someone compliments a report, thanks, who else do 45 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 1: you think I can share this with? All of these 46 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: do more good in the world than saying the equivalent 47 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: of what this old thing? So today, when someone compliments you, 48 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: practice accepting the compliment, don't downplay your accomplishments, and don't 49 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 1: deny what the person says. Say thank you and whatever 50 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: else feels most authentic to you. Accepting gifts is far 51 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: more gracious than turning them down, and denying a compliment 52 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: is really the equivalent of the latter. Better to have 53 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: more good feelings in this world. In the meantime, this 54 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 55 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 56 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 57 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 58 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the 59 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: number four than Breakfast p o D. You can also 60 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcast. At iHeart 61 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: media dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with 62 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to 63 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I 64 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: heart Radio. For more podcasts from i heart Radio, visit 65 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 66 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.