Years ago, while scrolling through Facebook, I read something posted by Sarah Peck. And I’ve never forgotten it.
Sarah is one of the most encouraging people I know online and she always makes me smile. Her post was a simple, life-changing thought:
“Facebook ‘likes’ are free. It doesn’t cost you anything to hand them out. So go for it.”
Sarah was offering a quick commentary on how we use Facebook. It doesn’t cost anything to click “like” on somebody’s photo, status update, or new Group page. So do it. I mean, why not? Be an encouragement to someone by clicking the like button (and now the “love” or “wow” button). You’re already scrolling through Facebook anyway.
Her simple post changed how I use Facebook. I used to just scroll and scan, but now I click “like.” It’s a simple way to tell somebody that you noticed them. The same principle applies to Instagram and Twitter and Snapchat and Youtube.
It also applies to podcasts and books and apps. In fact, one of the most important things you can do for a podcaster, author, or app developer is leave a positive review on their product. That’s why, if you interact at all online, you have almost certainly been asked to leave a review. Those are important—and again, totally free to hand out.
If you enjoy a podcast or new app, leave a positive review. If you read a good book, leave a 5-star review on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. If you read a blog post, leave a comment or share it. These simple actions cost nothing, take only seconds to complete, and provide valuable encouragement to the author/creator. It’s a simple act with a huge impact.
And in an Internet world with so much negativity, shouldn’t we be passing out as much positivity as possible? (tweet that)
Of course, Sarah’s advice extends far beyond social media. Perhaps, even more importantly, her thoughts extend to our in-person relationships as well.
Compliments are free. It costs us literally nothing to use kind words. So why not use them as much as possible?
It’s nice to receive long, thoughtful, drawn-out compliments, but not every kind word needs to be this way. Sometimes just one short sentence can be enough to change the entire course of somebody’s day:
- “You did a good job.”
- “It’s nice to see you.”
- “That’s really funny.”
- “You are so thoughtful.”
- “You are one of the kindest people I know.”
- “I’m glad I get to work with you.”
- “You look really nice today.”
- “You always brighten my day.”
- “I’m proud of you son.”
Each of these compliments take only seconds. And they don’t cost anything to hand out. So just go for it.
In a world full of negativity, everybody can use a little more positivity in their lives.
Besides, you are a beautiful person. And a compliment from you would mean more than you know.
Liz Beck says
What a great first visit to your site. Thank you.
Emma says
It is nice to hear compliments from others but only when they are sincere and authentic ones. There are people abusing empty compliments to be kind and polite as they are free. I was misled by those and thought they really liked me. When I found that their nice words really meant nothing special I was hurt.
Yes, giving out free compliments is easy and will make people smile for a moment but what if that doesn’t mean anything? I hate people saying kind words to everyone too often to be just nice. It is actully meaningless. HOW CHEAP WORDS THEY ARE?
gajanana says
I like it
Erin Ramsay says
I think about connection a lot. And I think about how social media has changed how we connect. Since I’m pretty sure social media isn’t going anywhere, I think about how social media has in many ways enabled connection. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on reaching out to others via SM, I think it is important to do so in a genuine way.
Ilse says
big fan of your blog!
Thanks for sharing.
Kariane says
Yes, in our family we call it spreading kindness. I think it’s so important to tell people thank you and that we appreciate them. A simple acknowledgement doesn’t have to take a lot of effort, but it can mean a lot to the person who receives it.
Thank you, Josh. :-)
Megyn says
I really love the message here–positivity breeds positivity.
My only concern is with passively “liking” something on social media. In my opinion, social media is meant for interaction. Commenting is fantastic, but to me “liking” something is just saying, “yep, I saw it.” rather than truly trying to interact with a person. I forced myself to stop “liking” things, and it has completely changed how I interact on social media. When I comment, it’s far more meaningful and intentional. Just a thought on how “liking” may not be the best method of showing positivity online.
Patricia N says
Thanks for sharing. I enjoy and never skip over any of your posts- very good advise, always!
David W. Howard says
“I’m proud of you son.”
Delson says
Awesome post Josh! Compliments are a great way to connect with others on a deeper level. Sharing a smile, joke, laughter, and memories are some excellent ways as well, but I believe compliments go hand-in-hand with active gratitude – taking inventory of the amazing qualities of the people around you and letting them know – that in itself is all the joy one can gain from it.