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Complimentary words work wonders on the soul

“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in setting of silver.”

— Proverbs 25:11 (NIV)

Compliments keep our hearts tender and energize our emotions. They don’t just nurture the recipient, but have a special way of strengthening the soul giver as well.

Compliments can be words of praise, such as “ I like your new car; the way you wear your hair; your knack for understanding me; or great job!” They can also be given as a formal act of courtesy, when we esteem the hostess of a dinner party regarding the tasty meal, or thank a store clerk for good service.

It’s been proven that gracious words are so important to our well-being that experts say that the average employee doesn’t just desire to be paid a decent wage, but is encouraged when given a complimentary word when handling the job well.

In our modern culture, words are oftentimes offensive, harsh, or arrogant, yielding results that are contrary and counterproductive rather than kindhearted compliments that build our well-being and foster productivity.

Uncomplimentary words cause us to become harsh, bitter, and uncaring, ruining our relationships with others and tearing down the best of marriages, business partnerships, and parent-child bonding.

Complimentary words work wonders on the soul. God wants us to speak them to others around us. We may not like everything about a person, but if we look close enough, we may find there is something we can openly admire about them.

Just think how offering kind words will actually help others look forward to seeing us, rather than running the other way. Why not sharpen our word skills and build a relationship as we compliment someone today?

Ÿ Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. Contact her at Annetteebudzban@aol.com;mailto:Annetteebudzban@aol.com[/URL]; P.O. Box 532 Grayslake, IL 60030

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