With all of the "100 days of gratitude" posts I see on Facebook I have to think that many people believe it feels good to acknowledge when things go well. To say thank you when people help you or are nice to you. To express when you feel appreciative of something.
So I have to wonder, why is it that when someone says "Thank you," they often get shut down?
Think about it. What do you do when someone says thank you to you?
Do you say, "Don't worry about it." "It was nothing." "No need to thank me, it was nothing." Or maybe "No problem."
Are we purposefully shutting them down by saying that whatever they are thanking you for isn't worth their effort, or are we denying ourselves the recognition and acceptance of praise?
If there is one thing I've discovered through many conversations since I entered the world of the entrepreneur in 2003 it's that we don't recognize our value.
We don't understand the true impact that we have on our clients or the people around us.
I speak to people all the time and ask them what their clients get by working with them. It seems like a straightforward question. So why is the answer often "I don't know."
In business, and in life, the biggest obstacle we face is, ourselves. Getting ourselves to believe that we are good enough. That we are capable of providing the service we are in business to offer. That we are worth the fee we are asking for.
I'm not sure why receiving praise is uncomfortable for many people. What I do know is if we stop to listen to what people are telling us and not shut them down we just might discover that we are worth more than we believe.
Here is my suggestion to you. Next time someone says thank you to you, take a moment to listen to what they are saying and accept their praise. Acknowledge yourself for whatever big or small act you did for them. You might even want to take a moment to write down a few notes to help you remember because it is going to add up pretty fast. These gestures, both big and small represent the value you bring to the world.
And one more thing, when someone does something nice to you let him or her know. Go into detail about what they've done for you. Let them see their value, as a service provider and as a human being.
How are you at accepting praise? What might change if you took in the praise you receive?
Carrie Greene is a speaker, author and business coach. She is a business strategist and productivity expert for entrepreneurs. Carrie helps entrepreneurs get clear on what they want and create simple and straight-forward plans to get there. She is the author of "Chaos to Cash: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Eliminating Chaos, Overwhelm and Procrastination So You Can Create Ultimate Profit!" Free resources at http://carriegreenecoaching.com/