The other day I was talking to one of my coworkers, she is a freshman at BYU and she is one of the sweetest, cutest, and funniest girls that I have ever met. She is very personable and easy to talk to. She was telling me about her weekend. She told me about one night when she ran into a guy that she worked with over the summer. Long story, short he made a comment about her weight and indirectly told her that she was "chubby." She wouldn't let that fly and called him out on it and told him that he was a jerk. He justified his comment by saying that he was just, "being honest and speaking his mind." What I would like to say to that guy and everyone is that sometimes it is best to just keep your mouth shut. It makes me think back to when I was kid and my mom would always tell me, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!"
My co-worker's self image was hurt by this inconsiderate boy's comment. I am sure that most girls in that situation would have been hurt by that type of comment, whether it's true or not. In that moment, I realized that it is important to always be building people up. Many things in this world tear people down. It's a harsh world, with some harsh people. But I do not want to be one of those harsh people.
I am making it a goal to give sincere comments to people everyday. The world needs more positivity, more joy, and more confidence. We are not here on this world to worry about lack of beauty or excess weight. We are here on this earth to grow, to have joy, and to serve others. And so, that is what I am going to do.
Wow that is really unfortunate to hear. I hope your friend is alright. Unfortunately there are not nice people around. I like your goal about being positive. I always thought it sounded crazy but when I have tried even just faking it when I don't want to has helped me see the brighter side in life. Random people help when they are nice to you but it sure is nice when family and friends build you up to. Good luck with your positive outlook. Mine is a constant work in progress.
ReplyDeleteI agree with being positive and keeping all the negative things out of our own minds, and especially from getting out of our mouths. It is funny because I have had the title of your blog in my head for the past little while. My sister said something about being nice that helped me to put it into perspective because sometimes a person can be too nice, even to the point that it is fake. She said, "You don't have to worry about being nice all the time so long as you are respectful." I think that has a lot to do with it as well so we don't find ourselves giving empty compliments and the like.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this! Even though it's tough to share and not always the easiest pill to swallow, it's important to realize that things like this really do happen. I am really happy that your friend was brave enough to stand up for herself and tell him that that is not ok.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what you say here. I am a big believer that a little bit of kindness goes a long way. I like your resolve to offer small and sincere compliments. I think that people can really tell when a compliment is sincere and it can have an incredible positive influence. Keep passing them on!
Amen! Let's not focus on the negative side of life. That will only make us and those around us miserable. He could have complimented her dress or hair or said something to make her feel better. Instead he ruined her day. How often do we do that on accident. I know I do. Thanks for reminding me the importance of having a positive attitude!
ReplyDeleteI agree, let's not say anything if it isn't nice. Sometimes the comments that are in one's head are inappropriate and should not be spoken. One does not need to be fake with their comments if they don't feel a certain way, but one's opinion does not always need to be voiced. Thanks for the post! It's a good reminder to always think before I speak.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for letting a situation that happened to someone else help you in the way you view things and are going to act in the future. Sometimes we feel like we need to learn from our own experiences, but I have learned so many important things from other people's lives. It's such a good way of looking at something bad happening to anyone. I agree with you on all of that.
ReplyDelete