They Know They’re Good. I Don’t Need to Tell Them.

My friend is a professional speaker. She’s done tons of talks and videos and interviews. She doesn’t need me to tell her that she’s good. She’s heard it many times before.

So when she wanted me to take a look at a couple of videos she was creating, my mind instantly jumped to suggestions for improvement. I was making a few mental notes as I reviewed her amazing work.

Then I paused. Before I tell her the few ideas I had to make it even better, should I tell her how great she did?

Have you ever assumed that someone already knew they were talented, smart, amazing, generous, etc? And they didn’t need to hear it again from you?

• Maybe it’s because it’s something they’ve done many times before so they don’t need encouragement.
• Maybe it’s because it’s something they’re really good at and they’ve heard compliments before.
• Maybe it’s because they appear to be confident and self-assured so they don’t need any praise.
• Maybe it’s because they point out how good they are to others so they already know they’re talented.

But maybe they do need encouragement, compliments, and positive feedback from you.

One thing I’ve learned is that we all appreciate appreciation and praise. We want to feel valued and recognized. Even if we appear to be confident, our self-worth can often use a boost.

Being a positivity catalyst by lifting up others is a great way to also lift ourselves. But sometimes the people who need a lift the most may surprise us. This week, try giving encouragement and praise to someone who doesn’t seem to need it. They may appreciate your recognition more than you’ll ever know.