There can never be enough compliments to put an extra spring in our step for a job well done or the way we look on any given day.
But there are some accolades that are just so profound, they stick with us forever.
I remember I was auditioning for a Broadway show for a spot in the ensemble along with other talented hopefuls – one of whom was a Tony nominee and renowned for her inimitable style and graceful presence.
After the audition, she and I happened to be waiting at the same subway station, and she elegantly strode over to tell me she was impressed by my "beautiful" dancing and wished me good luck. My legs buckled in that instant.
I didn't book the gig, but her compliment stayed with me long after that show eventually posted its closing notice.
Compliments not only make us feel good about ourselves, but they also remind us to pay it forward and point out the positives in the people around us.
We could all use one especially now.
In the spirit of boosting one's confidence, Redditor strawberryguavas asked, "What compliment do you still remember being given?"
Fast Food Paramour
"I was two weeks into my first job in high school and it was miserable. The manager's personal life was falling apart and she was taking it out on us, most of my coworkers wouldn't give me the time of day, plus I had to deal with everything that came with working fast food, dealing with horrible customers etc."
"I was planning on quitting by the end of the week. One day I wore my hair to work a little bit different (I was growing out my bangs at the time and I left them down instead of pinning them back) and the boy in the kitchen told me it looked pretty."
"I assumed he was just trying to be nice and thanked him, he went on and said 'No, seriously, I think the clips are super cute and all, but... you really look great today.' Kept me from quitting that job. That boy and I are talking about marriage now. :)"
– xKvinnan
Best Pants Ever
"About 4-5 years ago a girl in my college class said I had nice pants. I looked at those pants like they were the cure for cancer after that day."
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The Music Prodigy
"I was playing a song I made up for the piano when I was like 10, and my new teacher walks in and asks where the sheet music is for it. I felt so proud."
Mr. "Smith"
"When I was in high school I was put in a special math class for students that weren't so good in the subject. We learned the same things but the class just went at a slower pace. I took AP English and History classes but math and science were essentially foreign concepts to me I guess so I kind of needed it."
"In 10th grade the math teacher my special math class was assigned to was Mr. Smith (not real name. Mr. Smith was the football couch and just had a reputation for being this very stoic and stern individual who many students were afraid of. No matter how much of a rebel you were, no one f'ked around in a Mr. Smith class."
"One day towards the end of the year, Mr. Smith told me to stay behind for a moment when I was leaving his class. After everyone left he told me that he just wanted to let me know that he saw how much I was improving and that he was proud of me."
"I left that class and almost cried. What he said was so simple but coming from him it meant so much. He never gave out compliments and always seemed like more of a tough love type of guy. I always worked hard for my grads and at that time I really needed what he said to me."
Tipsy Flattery
"A drunk woman at a bar was walking passed me and stopped and said 'in case anyone hasn't told you, you look really good tonight.' And then kept on walking. That was 3-4 years ago, still makes me feel good when I think about it."
– Skyloer
A Sweet Inquiry
"St. Patrick's Day, late, far from any parade or anything but I'm walking down the street by myself. A young man stumbles up, asks me if I'm gay. I say no, and the look on his face was like I just told him his parents died in a car crash and his dog was driving. He asked for a hug after calling me beautiful, and I happily obliged, correctly stating that it was the nicest thing anyone had ever or would ever say to me."
"Plus I thought it was sweet that he asked for a hug."
A Whiff of Confidence
"When I was about 15, very depressed and with body dysmorphia, my mum and I visited the perfume floor of harrods. I was there in a hoodie with unwashed hair and too anxious to speak to any of the staff. When we got to one of the perfume shops and sat down, the very gentlemanly salesman told me I had a beautiful smile. After talking a little with my mum and giving her a few testers, he gave me a tester he said I might like, and he'd written the name of the perfume on the card. It was called 'Love (Don't Be Shy)'. Always sticks in my head as being one of the loveliest interactions I've ever had, even though it obviously didn't mean anything."
– sealcrab
Stand Tall
"I'm 5'2 and petite. I know it's average, but I've always felt small. In college, an acquaintance and I stood up after class. She looked at me and said, 'I always forget how short you are, unincorporated. You have such a big presence."'
"Whenever I feel small, I think of this and stand taller."
The Grateful Widow
"At the conclusion of a church funeral service, the widow stopped by to see me at the organ console before proceeding to the cemetery."
"She said, with both smiles and tears, 'I want to thank you for your uplifting music. It made my husband's funeral a celebration of his life rather than a sorrowful occasion.'"
Cue the Tears
"Just yesterday, my step kids said to me 'Daddy's changed so much since he met you. He's a much nicer person now.' Ngl, totally teared up."
The Chopsticks Pro
"My Chinese (she was from China, came to US for grad school) roommate told me I was better at using chopsticks than her. I think she just meant I use them in a more formal way, but I don't care, I was super thrilled anyway. I loved living with her."
The Beautiful Organ
"After I had gone into the gynecologist because I had some worries about my iud being out of place (it wasn't, thank god), my doctor took a look at my x-ray/ultrasound and exclaimed 'You have such a beautiful uterus!'"
"I've never received such a strangely uplifting compliment and I'll never forget it lmao"
At the Zoo
"I was a teenager at the zoo, asked the ticket taker how much the ticket was, he said 'free for you cause you're so cute' I couldn't make sense of what he said thru the speaker so I asked him to repeat it and when he did I couldn't possibly believe that's true, so I laughed and said 'no really, how much is it?' My friends and I paid and were on our way. I am dumb."
The American Dream
"Not sure if this was a compliment but when I showed my grandmother my first office. She looked at me and said, 'this was the reason why I came to America and worked day and night in the restaurant."'
The Compassionate EMT Trainee
"I was an EMT and my first patient, as a trainee, was victim of assault. I talked to her the whole time and even when she cried, I helped wipe her tears. When I left her, she told me I was an angel and my two mentors said it was the best bedside manner they've seen in a long time. I will always remember that and it inspires me to keep going further into the medical field. I was seventeen at the time and now I'm twenty. :)"
