Just say Thank You!

So, my good friend Jacqui told me today that I should blog about the fact that when a compliment is given a person should just say Thank You! And, do you know what? She is absolutely right!
Human nature is a very funny thing and we seem to be of the opinion species wide, that self deprecation is an honorable trait. It is our defense mechanism against disappointment and, even worse, we use it at times to simply pump up our own perception of our self worth. I find as a seminar presenter and teacher that all too often I have to literally tell a group of students that if I give a compliment, it is not only OK to just accept it and say thank you, but honestly, rather rude to turn it into an opportunity to talk about why they did not do the good job you just told them they did!
Everyone is capable of doing great things and I think there is a very clear line between accepting praise and admitting a job well done and being arrogant.
Trust me, I think there is a very large population of arrogant people in this world but I also think there is an even larger number of people who are just too self conscious to accept a compliment and move on.
If you are of the arrogant variety, please check yourself and realize that every time you turn a compliment into a negative, when you have clearly done something well, that you are potentially hurting someone around you who felt really good about what they did and are now feeling quite inadequate since Someone who clearly did better has dismissed their accomplishment as subpar.
Those of you who dismiss compliments because you feel that you are not worthy, get over it and appreciate your skills, accomplishments, etc.. And allow the person complimenting you to feel the joy of making someone feel good about something. :-)
I know for myself, if I compliment you, I mean it!
Enjoy the compliment and just say "thank you".