Today’s words of wisdom were suggested by one of my study halls. The subject came up when I complimented one of the students on what she had done. She, like many people, shrugged off the compliment and wanted me to believe that she bore no special gift and had done nothing outstanding, certainly nothing worth being singled out for. Her reaction was not unique. I have reacted exactly the same way in my life many times thinking I was being modest, and, after all, modestly is a good thing, right? Accepting a sincere compliment is a difficult thing to learn how to do. What do you do when someone gives you a heartfelt compliment? It is so easy to shrug it off or minimize it, but if you can honestly hear a compliment and let it in, it is one of the most nurturing experiences of your life. Self-esteem means feeling good about yourself, and it would be nice if we all had a self-esteem generator cranking out good stuff about ourselves 24/7. Unfortunately, it’s just as likely that we’re producing self-doubt, maybe even self- loathing along with the good stuff. So, being able to let positive opinions of others into us really makes life a lot easier. I was brought up to believe that believing a compliment about myself was a sign of conceit, but that’s not true. Being able to believe that someone really likes and appreciates me makes life a whole lot more fun to live. Next time someone compliments you, say, “Thanks,” and realize what a good person you really are.