This semester, I have felt like a complete disaster. Working four jobs, taking 18 credits, working on Her Campus, my school newspaper along with trying to figure out what on earth I am going to do with my life after graduation; it’s been a bit overwhelming.
On top of this, I have felt guilty for allowing myself to feel overwhelmed, because I had no shortage of friends and family telling me I was doing too much. On the other hand, my anxious brain has made me convinced that dropping even one of these things would simply not be possible and inevitably lead to my being a failure after graduation.
I think this feeling is one many college students relate to, including a few, if not all of our writers. It’s easy to overwhelm ourselves to the point where it feels like no return is possible. It takes a lot more than acknowledging we have overwhelmed ourselves to actually make us feel we are able to do something about it.
Back to my point. This semester, I have been a mess of overwhelmed and over-caffeinated energy. That is why when a co-worker told me she thought I always look put together, it meant the world to me.
We have been told since elementary school that words matter and that acts of kindness as small as smiling at someone can have a big impact on people. Out of all the random views and lessons that have been drilled into us as kids, I believe this is the most valuable.
For me, hearing that just one person who only saw me once a week didn’t think of me as the over-caffeinated mess I had been feeling like all semester made me feel great.
The smallest, most seemingly insignificant compliments we pay to each other can be the most meaningful.
My point is if you think something nice about someone, let them know.
You never know if that person whose outfit you love is feeling bad about how they look that day, or if a classmate whose speech on voting reform you really enjoyed was feeling like the speech had not gone well. Paying a quick compliment based on what authentically impresses you about a person could make all the difference in their day.
However, always be genuine when paying compliments. I am guilty of this often in that I am an awkward silence complimenter. If I don’t know what to say to someone I’ll compliment something whether it be their hair, shoes jewelry, etc. I can tell the reaction to these awkwardness-induced compliments is different from the genuine ones.
That said, I think there are few better feelings in life than seeing the reaction of someone who truly appreciated a compliment you paid them.
Letting people know what you like about them is such an easy way to make a huge impact on people. When you think of something you want to compliment about a person, don’t hold it in. You might just make someone’s day.