Thank you. You look nice. I like this about you. I look forward to it. You’re a blessing to me. I like your perspective. The words pierce like a blade in my side. A hurt, but a healing hurt. Like when a bone needs to break again to be re-set. Unprepared to hear them, I don’t know how to respond. I just say, “Oh well, you know,” and stuff like that. I go home, and the impact of the words wash over me. Tears stream from my eyes; grateful for those words that heal my soul. It’s not that I’ve never had nice things said to me. I have experienced kindness. But it takes five positive interactions to outweigh the impact of negative or neutral interactions. And I’ve had my share of negative or neutral interactions. Middle school, anyone? Eventually the negative from the outside became my inner monologue, my self talk. All those hurtful thoughts barraging my mind; no amount of positive compliments from the outside could ever outweigh them. ​

Yet, people said them anyway. You look nice. That haircut flatters you. You do good work. You’re a good mom. A Good Logger gives Money Time Words You can’t know the impact your words may have, for good or bad. You may feel strange or awkward saying it. But do it. Say how you feel or what you think, because your kindness may help outweigh that person’s negative talk from within or without. I’ll state it again: it takes five positives to overcome a negative or neutral comment or judgement. That goes for children and adults and yourself.