Shadowing Practice: Why Do Compliments Feel Uncomfortable Sometimes? | B2 English Shadowing - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Have you ever received a compliment and immediately wanted to escape it?
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Someone says, you did a great job, and instead of saying thank you, you answer.
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It was nothing.
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Someone tells you that you look good, and you quickly explain why you do not.
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Someone praises your work, and you start listing all the things you did wrong.
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The strange part is that you may want to be appreciated, but when appreciation arrives, It feels uncomfortable.
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Sometimes, you even feel the need to push it away.
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In this Level B2 English Shadowing practice, we will explore why compliments can feel difficult to accept,
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what they may reveal about our self-image, and how we can respond without feeling fake, proud, or exposed.
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Imagine that you have spent several days preparing an important presentation.
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You have checked the details, practiced your words, and worried about every possible mistake.
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When the presentation ends, your manager smiles and says, That was excellent.
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You explained everything clearly.
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You smile for a moment, but then you say, Really?
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I think I spoke too quickly.
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And I forgot one important point.
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Your manager may still believe the presentation was excellent.
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But you cannot seem to accept that opinion.
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Instead, you feel responsible for correcting it.
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Why does this happen?
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One reason is that a compliment can create a conflict between how other people see us and how we see ourselves.
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If you secretly believe that you are not very capable, hearing, you are talented, may feel almost impossible to understand.
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The words sound positive, but they do not match the picture you carry inside.
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When there is a gap between the compliment and your self-image, your mind may try to close that gap.
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It may reject the compliment, question the person giving it, or search for evidence that the praise is not true.
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You might think, they are only being polite, or they probably say that to everyone,
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or they did not see how difficult it was for me.
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These thoughts may protect you from disappointment.
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If you refuse to believe the compliment, you never have to risk believing something good about yourself and later discovering that it was not true.
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But there is a cost.
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When you reject every positive opinion, you may become more comfortable with criticism than with kindness.
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Negative comments feel familiar, while positive comments feel suspicious.
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The problem is not that you are too humble.
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The problem may be that your inner picture of yourself has become too narrow to include praise.
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And that leads to a deeper question.
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What if accepting a compliment is not about becoming proud?
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What if it is about allowing yourself to see something that other people can already see?
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Sometimes compliments feel uncomfortable because they make us feel visible.
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A compliment does not only say, you did something well.
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It also says, I noticed you.
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Someone has paid attention to your effort, your appearance, your personality, or the way you treat other people.
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For some people, being noticed feels pleasant.
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For others, it feels risky.
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Think about a person who usually stays quiet in a group.
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One day, they share an idea, and everyone responds positively.
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A colleague says, that was a really thoughtful point.
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Instead of feeling relaxed, the person becomes nervous.
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Now, everyone has noticed them.
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What if they expect more from them next time?
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What if they cannot repeat the same performance?
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What if the compliment creates an image they will have to maintain?
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This is one reason praise can feel like pressure.
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A compliment may seem to turn one successful moment into a new standard.
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Before the compliment, you only had to do the task.
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After the compliment, you may feel that you have to keep proving that you deserve it.
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The same thing can happen with appearance.
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If someone says, you look beautiful today, you may feel exposed because their attention is suddenly focused on your body or face.
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You may wonder what they noticed, how long they were looking, or what they expect you to say.
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Of course, not everyone experiences compliments this way.
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Some people simply feel shy, while others have learned to connect attention with judgment.
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If praise was often followed by criticism, teasing, or unrealistic expectations in the past,
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positive attention may not feel completely safe.
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You may also fear that accepting praise will make you look arrogant.
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Perhaps you are taught that good people should stay modest, never talk about their strengths, and always point out their weaknesses.
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But humility and self-rejection are not the same thing.
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Humility means understanding that you are not better than everyone else.
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Self-rejection means refusing to recognize your own value.
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You can accept a compliment without believing that you are perfect.
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You can appreciate praise without deciding that you are superior.
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A compliment is not a contract.
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It does not mean you must perform perfectly forever.
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It is simply one person's honest response to something they noticed.
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You do not have to become the image that someone else describes.
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You only have to decide whether their words contain something worth receiving.
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Another reason compliments feel uncomfortable is that we may have a habit of explaining away positive experiences.
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Imagine that you receive a high score on an exam.
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Your friend says, you must have worked really hard.
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You answer, not really.
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The questions were easy.
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You get promoted at work.
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Someone says, you earned that.
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You reply, I was just lucky.
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The timing was good.
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You finish a difficult project.
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A teammate says, you handled that problem very well.
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You say, anyone could have done it.
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Notice the pattern.
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The compliment arrives and you immediately reduce its value.
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Maybe the task was easy.
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Maybe the timing was good.
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Maybe other people helped.
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These things may be true.
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Success is rarely created by one person alone.
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But recognizing outside support does not mean your own effort disappears.
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There is a difference between adding context and canceling your achievement.
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Adding context sounds like this.
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Thank you.
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I had a lot of help, and I also spent many evenings preparing.
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Cancelling your achievement sounds like this.
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It was nothing.
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Anyone could have done it.
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The first response is balanced.
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The second response removes you from the story.
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Some people do this because they are afraid of becoming arrogant.
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Others do it because they believe their achievements must be perfect before they deserve recognition.
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If there was one mistake, they feel the whole compliment is invalid.
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But most compliments are not claims of perfection.
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When someone says, you handled that situation well, they are not saying, you made no mistakes.
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They are pointing to one quality or one successful action.
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You do not need to defend yourself against praise as if it were an accusation.
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A useful question is, what exactly is this person recognizing?
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Perhaps they are recognizing your patience.
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Perhaps they noticed your courage, your preparation, your creativity, or the way you helped someone.
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You do not have to accept a larger identity than the compliment offers.
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You can simply accept the specific truth.
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Yes, I did work hard on that.
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Yes, I was nervous, but I still spoke.
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Yes, I am proud of how I handled it.
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These statements are not arrogant.
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They are accurate.
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And accuracy matters.
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If you accept every negative judgment as proof of who you are, but reject every positive judgment as meaningless,
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your self-image will become unfair.
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You'll be treating yourself like a witness who is allowed to present only the evidence against you.
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A healthier response does not require constant confidence.
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It requires a more honest relationship with the evidence.
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So, how can you become more comfortable with compliments?
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The first step is to stop treating them as problems that need to be solved.
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When someone says, you did well, you do not need to decide immediately whether the statement is completely true.
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You do not need to compare it with every mistake you have ever made.
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You do not need to give a speech explaining why the person may be wrong.
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You can simply say, Thank you.
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At first, this may feel unnatural.
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You may feel that you are accepting too much.
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But saying thank you does not mean you agree with every possible interpretation of the compliment.
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It only means that you recognize the person's kindness or attention.
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The second step is to notice your automatic response.
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Do you make a joke?
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Do you change the subject?
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Do you criticize yourself?
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Do you return the compliment immediately because receiving attention feels uncomfortable?
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There is no need to judge yourself for these habits.
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Just notice them.
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Awareness creates a small space between the compliment and your reaction.
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In that space, you can choose a different response.
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The third step is to receive the compliment at its actual size.
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If someone says, you gave a clear explanation, they do not have to turn it into, I am an amazing speaker.
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You also do not have to turn it into, they are completely wrong.
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The compliment may simply mean that in that moment, you explain something clearly.
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Let it remain that size.
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This is important because many people reject praise when they think accepting it means accepting a perfect identity.
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But you can accept one good moment without promising that every future moment will be good.
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You can be a person who sometimes speaks clearly and sometimes struggles.
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You can be hardworking and still need rest.
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You can be attractive and still have days when you do not feel attractive.
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You can be kind and still make mistakes.
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A compliment does not erase your weaknesses.
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It adds another part to the picture.
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The final step is to practice receiving praise without immediately returning it.
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If someone says, I really like your work, you do not have to say, thank you, but your work is much better.
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You can appreciate them later.
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For now, allow yourself to receive.
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You are not stealing attention by accepting it.
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You are not becoming selfish by recognizing your effort.
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You are simply letting another person's words reach you.
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Over time, this can change the way you see compliments.
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They may stop feeling like tests you have to pass.
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They may become small moments of connection.
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Someone notices something good in you.
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You do not have to argue with them.
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You do not have to become perfect.
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You only have to leave the door open.
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A compliment is not proof that you are better than other people.
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It is not a demand to keep performing.
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It is not a reason to hide.
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Sometimes it is simply a person saying, I saw something good in you.
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And sometimes learning to say thank you is also learning to say, I am allowed to see it too.
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The next time someone compliments you, try not to push the words away.
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Pause for a moment.
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Listen to what they are actually saying.
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Then answer with something simple and honest.
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Thank you.
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That means a lot.
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Thank you.
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I worked hard on it.
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Thank you.
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I am glad you noticed.
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You do not need to feel completely comfortable before you accept kindness.
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Comfort may come later, through practice.
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The goal is not to believe every compliment without question.
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The goal is to stop rejecting every good thing automatically.
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You can remain humble and still receive praise.
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You can recognize your weaknesses and still recognize your strengths.
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You can be unfinished and still be worthy of appreciation.
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So, the next time a compliment makes you uncomfortable, ask yourself one question.
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Am I rejecting this because it is untrue or because it is difficult to believe something good about myself?
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That question may not change your reaction immediately, but it can help you understand what is happening beneath it.
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And perhaps little by little, you will learn that accepting a compliment is not an act of pride.
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It is an act of honesty.
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Great job completing this B2 English shadowing practice.
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Keep practicing by listening closely, speaking just behind the narrator, and repeating the script naturally.
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You do not have to sound perfect.
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You only have to keep showing up and using your voice.
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