Have you ever complimented a friend and had them deflect, saying something like, “This old thing? I’ve had it for years.” Or, “Thanks but I need to get it cut.” It almost makes you feel lame for saying something so “ridiculous.”
We’re taught from a young age not to be boastful and as a result, we’ve had the whole accepting compliments thing beaten out of us. For me, it presented itself in the way I handled relationships in the early stages; God forbid I actually show or tell someone how much I liked them.
But then my acting teacher noticed something that changed everything for me.
A male acting colleague and I were doing an improv scene study as husband and wife. He hugged me and told me he loved me. And I blushed.
I BLUSHED!
After the scene ended, my teacher asked, “Do you have trouble accepting compliments?” I said I did. And so for the next six months, I worked on getting comfortable “being seen” in class. Seems so weird for an actor, right? Being seen?
But it’s oh-so-common. Maybe it shows up in acting class or when you make excuses as to why you’re not further along in your career. It’s sneaky
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