Jill Thomas is a rambler, traveler, and storyteller with a big laugh who believes life takes her where she needs to go, no matter the roundabout path.
Sometimes, when we feel down on ourselves, a sincere and well-timed compliment is the perfect balm for our wounds. So this week, while I am rambling, I’m thinking about meaningful compliments and drawing on them for strength as I ponder what’s in store for 2024.
The best compliments are both surprising and immediately ring true. They give us positive insights into ourselves that we missed.
One of my favorites came from an improbable place. A decade ago I moved to northwest Florida from Canada to work for a hotel company. For a few years I traveled a lot with our five-member, all-male investment team, chasing down potential hotel deals. These guys were conservative money types, and I was their charisma. They nicknamed me “the closer,” as I could sometimes charm a room into parting with investment capital.
They treated me like their kid sister. They were pranksters, and I am easy to prank. One of their best pranks was when they climbed a tree outside my office and banged on a second-floor window while I was working late, to scare me. It worked. One of them filmed it, but the words that came out of my mouth were unfit for public consumption. I called them all mother f***kers several times over.
Another time, we were touring hotels in the Ozarks and drove through Branson, Missouri. Branson is an oversized tourist trap that touts itself as the “live entertainment capital of the world.” Massive theaters showcase every spectacle, including a reenactment of Noah’s Ark with a menagerie of animals, including elephants, zebras, and giraffes marching two by two.
I was raised by Canadian hippies, so colossal American tourist installations are new to me. I’d never heard of Branson, even though 9 million people go there every year on vacation.
So when we drove by the museum with a lifesize recreation of the Titanic crashing into an iceberg, my colleague said, “I bet you didn’t know the actual Titanic is in Branson.” I responded, “seriously?” So he continued, “Yes, they pulled it up off the ocean floor, and Branson bought it.” For five minutes, I believed him, and ruthless teasing ensued.
When the hilarity subsided, he turned to me and said, “Don’t feel bad. You are gullible because you have a big imagination and a knack for storytelling, making you want the outrageous to be true so badly that you can convince yourself to believe.” It was one of the best compliments I’ve ever received.
So today if you need a pick me up why not go for a ramble and remember some of the kind words, lovely insights, and authentic compliments shared with you and what they have meant to you and your life.
I would love to hear the best compliments you've ever received in the comments!
READ MORE > JT's Tales From The Trail, Rambler Cafe Blog
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