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Men reveal touching compliments women have said to them that pulled their heartstrings

"After 49 years and 8 months together out of the blue she says, 'I’m still in love with you'.

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Men share the most heart-warming things people have told them that had deep impact.

Kind words and compliments can sometimes mean so much more than anticipated. And certain compliments from women to men can have a deep and lasting impact, whether they are from a spouse, parent, friend, or even a stranger.

In an online forum, member kitcat1098 posed the question: "Men, what has a woman told you that touched your heart more than you let on?"

And men did not hold back divulging the impactful things women have said to them. These are 21 of the best compliments a woman has given a man, according to men.

 man crying, man tears, man happy tears, emotional man, man emotions Tears Crying GIF  Giphy  

"A classmate in anthropology class, we were making casual conversation while we examined bones and I told her I had a brother and she asked me 'is he like you? So gentle?' I have very low self esteem, or rather a lot of self loathing. When I get a compliment my instinct is to think I’m being mocked or pitied. That one came out of left field, and it actually got past my mental defenses and connected. It was also genuinely, genuinely touching to me." DPPestDarkestDesires

"Ex gf and I were leaving her families' holiday dinner. I made a casual comment, something to the effect of 'Nana remembered both me and my job. I think she likes me.' And her reply struck me like a lightning bolt. She casually said (while still staring at her phone) 'Of course Nana likes you. You are a genuine and kind person. Who wouldn't like you?' She didn't mean it as a compliment. She said it like an observation that any other person would have made and seemed almost annoyed that I didn't understand how they both apparently saw my interaction with her. I never told her how much that meant to me." whovian5690

"After 49 years and 8 months together out of the blue she says, 'I’m still in love with you'. Separate_Gazelle3481

 in love, still in love, love, romantic love, kissing In Love Kiss GIF  Giphy  

"My mom passed away a couple years ago from Covid and I was her primary caretaker for over 10 years before that. She was a single mom and meant everything to me. I have really bad confidence issues and struggled extremely hard with depression. To be frank, I was a lazy sack of shit. After my mom passed I ended up losing everything and basically ended up having a trial by fire trying to become a functioning adult all within like 2 months. A couple months ago I took my Grandma (her mom) out to lunch and she looked at me and just said 'your mom would be so proud of you.' It hit me like a ton of bricks because I still feel like I'm behind everyone else at my age and haven't really ever experienced that before." EppsXIII

"I’m an engineer and used to be an engineering team leader when my amazing General Manager left for another opportunity. I was asked if I would like to be considered to take his place and oversee sales and construction in addition to engineering, as well as P&L responsibility for the region. I was wavering on it and told my wife, 'I don’t know. (My predecessor) was from more of a sales background and a better public speaker and …..' She told me, 'You don’t need to be (your predecessor). You can just be you and bring your own strengths and leadership qualities.' I got that job and have served in that position for the last 8 years. It was the best career decision I ever made, and thinking about that conversation with my wife still chokes me up." Scintelle

"My girlfriend told me that I'm the father to our daughters that she always wished she had growing up and I think about that all the time." Tydozer_

 smile, smiling man, emotional man, happy man, touching moment In Love Awww GIF  Giphy  

"Two women said, unannounced and without knowing my situation, called me a good dude they could always depend on, without prompt or self pity. It was..really, really, nice to hear." cgtdream

"My wife when she told me she was proud of me for standing up to my emotionally abusive parents after almost 30 years of keeping my mouth shut and being a doormat. I cried, but even that doesn't come close to letting her know how much that meant to me and words can't describe it." Deylar419

"Our daughter was born with a heart defect. She died at 6 weeks old. My wife turned to me a few weeks after the funeral and said 'you’re a rock all the time and I appreciate it more than words will ever be able to express, but it’s time for you to let it out.' I wasn’t okay for quite a few hours after that." BGOG83

"I'm a 50/50 single dad. I was in Walmart and a woman overheard me talking to my son, who was 4 at the time. We crossed paths later on and she stopped me and complimented me on how I talk to my son. 'There aren't very many dads out there who are like that with their children. It's really nice to see.' I was completely stunned and I struggled to maintain my composure with a weak 'Thank you.' I had to stop for a few minutes to process it and I was so overwhelmed that tears were flowing. I've been trying so hard to raise my little guy since he was a year old, struggling at times, trying to do things right. No one ever asks me how I'm doing, I've had people treat me like absolute shit since my breakup and I talk to only a small fraction of the people I used to. His mom and I are on good terms as co-parents and I won't ever budge from that. To have a complete stranger stop and compliment me like that just meant so much." j1ggy

 good dad, compliment, nod, agree, yes Proud Schitts Creek GIF by CBC  Giphy  

"Twenty six years ago a girl told me I had friendly eyebrows." OneTimeIMadeAGif

"'Thank you for bringing dignity to this dump.' -eccentric old lady in McDonald’s. Narrowly, I think she just meant the McDonald’s, since I was wearing a suit, but I choose to apply the sentiment more broadly." BubblyTaro6234

"(I found her father dying from a heart attack). It was a week later after he passed. We were in bed together she said 'you can cry and I won’t tell anyone'. I looked up to that man a lot and how he lived his life." hdlog43

"Had a girl seemingly out of nowhere ask me if I was doing alright yesterday. I don’t think I was putting out negative vibes or anything. It was just a check in. It was kind of awesome." abrandnewanthem

 happy, happy man, smiling, happy smile, excited man Happy Lets Go GIF by US Open  Giphy  

"My wife showed me a picture of her and our daughters getting some froyo and she said 'thanks babe for working so hard so that we can afford a treat on a Tuesday'. Somehow it made me feel like all the hours I slave away and don't have with my family are actually worth something. I got all watery-eyed and happy. It like refueled me." Engininja_180PI

"I’ve been close to only a few girls in my life. And one thing they’ve said about me is that I’m a good listener. I’ve always taken it as a compliment but I honestly don’t know what I did that warranted that comment. I literally just listened to them talk. I don’t take notes or give encouraging comments and honestly, I don’t even remember what they say sometimes. Anyway, I was talking to a girl I’m seeing and I brought this up and she agreed. I was wondering what she thought and was expecting her to give some insight but then she said 'but do they listen to what YOU have to say ?' I was honestly taken aback. I did not expect her to be concerned about that for me. And I was honestly so touched." zool714

"That she feels safe with me." Inside-Cod1550

 hug, safety, safe, feel safe, safe feeling couple hug GIF  Giphy  

"My girlfriend telling me she feels safe being herself around me, and then proceeding to meow at me and us proceeding to meow at each other like two completely normal people." BaconAndVibes

"'You're the only man that has ever treated me with respect.' I wasn't even trying flirt with her, she was my groupmate back in college and I treated her like any other bro. I guess its because she is very attractive that she gets a lot of unwanted male attention. It was both a compliment and something very sad for me." KapePaMore009

"I wasn't the easiest kid to have, nothing crazy but messy, lazy, etc. A few years after moving out my mom said she 'misses me so much' and here I was convinced she was exited to be an empty nester... got to my feels." steadyhands25

"I once had a coworker tell me I looked nice. To her it was probably just something of a nicety. But to me, well I still remember it 10 years later." BaddestKarmaToday


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Family

Busy mom overcome with emotion when elderly man says the perfect thing to her

He chose positivity and it made all the difference.

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A happy mother and her smiling child.

Parents of newborns know they are in the middle of a joyous and stressful era. But far too often, the people they run into choose to frame things negatively when talking to them about their young child. They’ll say things like, “Don’t worry, it gets better” or “Boy, do you have your hands full.”

That’s why Steph Morrison's video on TikTok touched so many hearts. It’s about the fantastic things that can happen when people choose to see things in a positive light instead of a negative one.

“The sweetest thing just happened,” Morrison begins in her video. “I was just finishing my walk and we were just pulling down our street and this old man, he stopped so we could walk by because we’ve got the double-wide stroller that takes up the whole space, and he goes ‘Wow! You’re going to have a lot of fun.’"

The comment blindsided Morrison because it reframed how she looks at being a parent.

@_stephmorrison_

I never would have guessed what the man would say nor did I ever predict tears would roll down my face like they did. Thankful for this sweet glimmer from God 🫶🏼✨ #momspiration #momsoftiktok #momsover30 #quotesforyou #momquotes #postpartumjourney #postpartumlife #happywords #happinessbegins #creatorsearchinsights

“I don’t know why I’m getting emotional telling you now. But most people say, ‘You’ve got your hands full’ and it’s my biggest pet peeve, but he was so sweet and I could, like, see the memories flash through his eyeballs as he said that to me: ‘You’re going to have a lot of fun.’”

“Like, dang! That’s the type of vibe and energy I’m going to bring to motherhood,” she continued. “I was having a really great time with the kids already, so I don’t know why I’m crying while telling you this. But if you’re a mother out there, I hope you’re having a lot of fun, too, because why not?”

Everyone knows that parenting can be hard. But it’s also filled with joy, laughter, hope, possibilities and new experiences. The elderly man’s comments were a great reminder to Morrison and her followers to focus on the joy and possibilities of being a parent instead of the challenges and hard work.



The video struck a chord with mothers in the comments who shared similar experiences.

“An older man in the grocery store stopped me when my son was 8 months old and said, ‘Young enough to still talk to the angels, put in a good word for me!’” Rachel wrote. “My only son is 7 months old. I can’t have any more kids due to life-threatening complications at birth. The other day, a man said to me, ‘He gets to have you all to himself. Isn’t that so special?’” Happy_Gilmoree added.

CaitlinPrice25 hit the nail on the head. “Society makes us feel like kids are a burden,” she wrote. “Just a little change of perspective can make all the difference.”

A positive mindset can make life much easier for parents, but it’s also great for their children. Children look to their parents and model their behavior; those with a positive attitude are likely to raise happy, optimistic children. “A mother’s ability to model positivity becomes a powerful tool in shaping a child’s character, fostering qualities such as kindness, compassion, and a positive outlook on life,” The Motherhood Center in Houston, Texas, writes.

The story also reminds everyone, whether they are parents or not, of the importance of leading with positivity when dealing with others. The man could have said something cliché such as “I hope you’re getting enough sleep,” but instead, he reminded Morrison of the joy of parenting, and she made his remark her north star. That’s the power of positivity.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Hypnotherapist's simple 'installation' trick gives negative people a more positive outlook

“My life completely changed and my mind was completely blown when I learned that it was possible.”

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Thumbs up or thumbs down.

Emilie Leyes, a certified hypnotherapist and brain-training specialist, is helping people turn their negative outlooks more positive by teaching them a simple trick based on neuroscience. The trick is called “installation” and was developed by neuropsychologist Rick Hanson, Ph.D. Over time, it’s a simple practice that can reprogram our brains to counter our natural negativity bias.

Negativity bias refers to our proclivity to “attend to, learn from, and use negative information far more than positive information.” It’s why people tend to read negative headlines more than positive ones or are more likely to remember bad experiences than happy ones. It’s also why we have a larger emotional and physical response to adverse stimuli than things we enjoy.

Even though it’s an unpleasant trait, our focus on things that can harm us has helped humans survive for hundreds of thousands of years. However, according to Leyes, there’s a way to bring our minds into balance so that we don’t have such a negative, dour outlook on life.

How to have a positive outlook on life

“The good news is that you can actually counteract this negativity bias and change the way your brain functions. There's an amazing little tool, brain trick, whatever you want to call it, called installation,” Leyes said in a video with over 4 million views.

@emilieleyes.hypnosis

Taking in more of the good experiences as they happen can keep our brains from thinking so negatively! If you want to be guided through this process and learn these tools in a way that lasts, make sure to check out my six week ✨hypnotic empowerment✨ masterclass where you will learn, bring training and Hypnosis tools to bring yourself out of this negativity, bias, reduce stress, build confidence, and believe in yourself as you pursue your goals! The session is from June 3 to July 8, And you can learn more and get registered at my⛓️ ##mentalhealth##mentalhealthawareness##selfcare##braintraining##neuroplasticity##positivity##mindset##mindsetshift##emilieleyes##psychology##psychologytricks##changeyourmindset##hypnosis##subconsciousmind

“It was developed by psychologist Dr. Rick Hansen, which is basically the act of, like, amplifying the positive experiences when they come. Because, remember, the positive experiences are less intense than the negative ones,” Leyes continued. “And the practice of installation is really all about savoring those positive moments longer and more intensely than you normally would.”

Leyes says you can use the technique whenever you have a positive experience. Let’s say you are enjoying a big, cheesy, saucy piece of pizza. As you come to the last bite, focus on all of the incredible flavors and slowly chew it. Savor every moment it’s in your mouth. “And in doing that, you're actually growing that emotional response to that positive experience, which over time can start to balance out that negativity bias,” she says.



Dr. Hanson says it’s ok if we create our own positive experiences by thinking about things we’re grateful for or remembering a time we stood up to a bully or had genuine compassion for someone in pain. “Then, once you’ve got that good experience going, really enjoy it: taking 5, 10, or more seconds to protect and stay with it, and open to it in your body. The longer and more intensely those neurons fire together, the more they’ll be wiring this inner strength into your brain,” Dr. Hanson writes.

The great thing is that the installation trick will not only improve your outlook but also open the door to more positive experiences.

“It's actually priming the brain to take in more good experiences as they come,” Leyes says in her TikTok video. “Cause what we put our focused attention on is amplified in our minds and totally informs our experience. So your brain will start to learn from that and start to recognize that positive experiences are equally important to the negative ones.”

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Kids don't listen? Expert says stop constantly saying 'no' and try this approach instead.

"Your kids will never know what you want them to do if you only ever tell them what not to do."

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A young boy with his hands over his ears.

There isn’t a parent alive who doesn’t get tired of constantly correcting their child’s behavior by saying, “Don’t do this” or “Stop doing that.” What makes things even worse is that it can feel like no matter how many times we tell our kids to “stop standing on the couch” or “don’t slam the door,” they never seem to listen.

Jenna Mazzillo says that kids may not be responding to our “stop no don’ts” because they aren’t sure what they should be doing instead. Mazzillo shared her thoughts in a recent Instagram reel that was a big help to many frustrated parents. Mazzillo is a board-certified behavior analyst and special education teacher with 13 years of experience who goes by @abanaturally on Instagram,

How do I get my kids to listen?

“Here's the thing about when we use those ‘don't’ and ‘no’ statements. We're never telling our children what they should be doing. What should they be doing instead?” she said. “Additionally, we're just drawing attention to the very thing that we don't want our children to be doing.”



Mazillo’s advice makes a lot of sense. Learning the correct thing to do is impossible when we are only told what we shouldn’t be doing.

“So what should we do instead?” Mazzillo continued. “Tell our children exactly what we want them to be doing. Instead of saying, ‘Don't put your feet on the chair,’ we would want to say, ‘Put your feet down.’ Instead of saying, ‘Don't talk to me like that,’ tell your child exactly what you want them to say.”

Mazzillo shared some examples of how to implement her positive approach on Instagram.

  • Instead of saying, “Be careful!” try, “Hold onto the railing as you go down the stairs.” This gives them a specific action that promotes safety.
  • Instead of “Don’t touch that!” try, “Let’s keep our hands to ourselves when we’re in the store.”
  • Rather than “Hurry up!” try, “Put your shoes on so we’re ready to go.” Instead of saying, “Be careful!” try, “Hold onto the railing as you go down the stairs.” This gives them a specific action that promotes safety.




What is positive parenting?

Mazillo’s approach is part of a positive parenting philosophy that guides children with empathy, love and respect. The approach emphasizes building strong relationships, clear communication and teaching through encouragement rather than punishment.

Parenting author and public speaker Kara Carerro agrees with Mazzillo’s approach. “We must affirm what our children need to do. Rather than discipline and teach them by telling them what not to do, it’s a lot easier to tell them exactly what we want them to do. In telling a child not to hit, maybe he thinks, ‘Well, can I kick?’” she writes at Extremely Good Parenting. “In the end, my parenting has become much more intentional, using negative language and ‘no’ less and coming up with a more positive approach. It makes the power of ‘no’ retain its meaning and has created clear boundaries for my children.”

Ultimately, Mazillo’s positive parenting approach effectively communicates to your child what they should be doing instead of what they shouldn’t. So, it’s unsurprising that it helps them develop good listening skills, too. “If we want to be crystal clear so that our children understand what we want them to do, then make sure when you're telling them what to do, you use it in a positive phrase and avoid using those no and don't statements,” Mazzillo concludes her video.

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