If you don't have anything nice.....

Some people were mean this week.
I noticed lots of disapproving glances.
One person told me "Your hair is greasy"
Another person told me that I needed to "humble myself"
One exclaimed to another girl "Why are you wearing that? You wear that ALL the time"
And another person seemed to find fault in everyone around her.

But there are some that were so very kind
One girl said to me "Kaitlyn, your eyes are soo pretty, they are my favorite shade of blue"
Another said, "Kaitlyn, I love how you randomly smile. Its so pretty and makes me smile"
I got countless compliments on my jackets this week.
And quite a few on my new hairstyle.
And during seminary a girl (who sits two rows over to my left) came up to me after class and said "you have such a beautiful voice, thanks for singing"

Those really made my day.

One does not know (okay maybe they do) the power a comment from your peers (or family, strangers, etc) can have. The compliment made me smile and it made me want to compliment others back. It made me want to make the world a happier place, one radiant smile at a time. The negative comments I heard made me miserable. It made me self consious and wonder what others were saying about me, and just not mean enough (or too scared) to say to my face.

The kind people are people I need to look up to. They are such good examples of positive feedback. I love seeing their cheerful attitudes and grateful outlook on life. I love seeing their light and example of Christ coming from within. And have you noticed, these people are SOO much prettier than those who sit there and complain all day about others?

It is REALLY hard for me to give a compliment. I'll tell my friends "Hey, she looks cute today" or even think in my head what a great person she is. And there's hardly an hour that goes by that one of these thoughts don't cross my mind. But I rarely if ever (1/1,000) tell it to the persons face. It's just really hard for me to approach someone to tell them that. Everyday I go to bed guilty of not expressing the positive attributes of those I see, and deserve to hear how great they are.

So I think that's going to be my goal for awhile. Speak less negative and recognize the beauty of God's creations.