Praise

Praise is different from criticism. Criticism makes it clear that something needs to be addressed. Praise, on the other hand, seems harmless—as if the more we receive, the better, and nothing needs to be done with it. That’s why the skill of handling praise is often overlooked, even though it’s something we can improve just like any other skill.

I’ve never been good at receiving praise. I get awkward. I say strange things. And afterwards, I usually realise I shouldn’t have said them. My inability to handle praise sometimes undoes the good. I may have done something well, but I don’t know how to respond when someone recognises it. My uncomfortable reaction can make people misunderstand me. They might think I’m not happy with the compliment—or worse, hesitate to ask me to do the thing I’m good at again.

Learning to sit with praise without letting it inflate your ego until you overpromise and burn yourself out later. Learning to sit with praise without becoming addicted to it or craving more and more. Learning to sit with praise without waiting for external validation. Learning to sit with praise so it pushes you forward rather than keeping you still.

Receiving praise is a skill. It needs practice. Nothing comes for free—not even compliments.