Have you ever had someone say something they thought was a compliment, and you did not hear it that way?

“You look great for your age.”

“I love how you don’t care what people think about you.”

“You look so much better now that you have lost weight.”

I know people think they are saying something nice.  But when you think about it intently, you realize you could take it another way.  They truly meant it as a compliment, but you twisted it around to hear the negative connotation. 

There is a simple lesson here:  What you hear is as important as what people say. 

Sure, they could have said it better.  But the tendency is to take something someone meant to be an encouragement and turn it into something hurtful.  Our brains often only pick up the negative side and miss the positive.  The problem is not with them; it is with you. 

Oh, be careful little ears what you hear.