Signs of mental illness (Part 1 of ?)

This may surprise you, but not everyone is educated or beautiful or successful or slim or happy or young. It's true.

I'm always trying to keep tabs on my mental state and it is quite a challenge. Did you know that badmouthing others can be a sign of mental illness? How positively you see others reflects how happy, kind, and emotionally stable you are.

For the record, that goes for badmouthing anybody. Regardless.

I think when I was younger I probably did this from time to time. Badmouthing others. I don't remember a particular example, but I know I was envious sometimes and I probably badmouthed someone likely because I wished I was more like them.

Some people always seem to see the bright side of things. Being genuinely happy when others are successful. When it's truly genuine, how can you not admire those people?

I'm not always good at paying people compliments, but I want to. When someone you know has a new outfit or a new 'do or a new job or lost weight, you notice. If you choose not to say anything, then you might as well be saying . . .

Well, I don't know what you might be saying, but I always remember when someone pays me a compliment and I treasure it. Even Jim - despite him being very complimentary. And I admit it becomes more and more important as the years go by!

Don't you hate it when someone says something like "Oh, you did your hair different."? Is there a compliment in there somewhere? How do you respond to that? "Uuuh, yes, I did and you are very observant."

Once our neighbor said "Oh, you have new shoes!" And I mistakenly thought she was going to say how much she liked them, but no. Instead, she said I still had the sticker on the bottom.

I'm not suggesting being overly generous, but why not just say something nice?

Not everybody is educated or beautiful or successful or slim or happy or young, but . . .

"Everybody likes a compliment." Abraham Lincoln