Stop, Drop, Compliment

When I went to school in the 1980s we learned how to Stop, Drop, and Roll. To those of you who are unfamiliar with this, it is a technique taught to young children about how to survive in a fire. In this "back to school" season remember: going to school has always had its challenges. But I digress. In this season of reliving (or living) our school days, instead of Stop, Drop, and Roll how about we think: Stop, Drop, and Compliment whenever we stumble upon another human. C O M P L I M E N T S A R E G O O D! The getter of the compliment gets a surge of dopamine to the brain which activates the reward center. The giver of the compliment feels good because they recognize that giving praise makes another person happy. A quick refresher on how to compliment. The compliment must be: 1.) TOTALLY believable 2.) SOMEWHAT believable * * To figure out whether something is SOMEWHAT BELIEVABLE, consider whether YOU would believe what you are saying. Consider mentioning: • a person's smile • an item of clothing they are wearing • what they are carrying • something positive that you might have heard about them. These end-of-summer, back-to-school transition periods are a challenge in the best of times--and few would claim these are the best of times. Therefore, try, Stop, Drop, and Compliment everyone you see & also YOURSELF. Don't forget to compliment yourself--I bet I would think you are doing a good job! Let me know how it goes! Jen