When was the last time you gave yourself a compliment?
This gentle reflection invites you to slow down, notice your inner strength, and explore what it means to offer yourself a sincere compliment.
(This blog is an English translation of a previously published Dutch blog on my Dutch website Caroline Pinter Wandelcoaching.)
Longing as a starting point
In my work as a walking coach, the focus is often not on what feels wrong.
It is not about what we are struggling with,
but about what we long for.
What is already going well?
What would we like to see or do more of?
And what might that reveal?
These are not easy questions.
But they are meaningful ones.
Where our strength is hidden
Often, our strength lies in what we do almost automatically.
In what we find so normal that we barely notice it anymore.
Or in what we have learned to suppress or downplay.
And that is exactly why it can be difficult to recognize and acknowledge our core values.
Is it resilience?
Or courage?
Where are we actually proud of?
It starts with noticing and with openness to self-reflection.
What we notice points the way forward.
Reflection in motion
While walking, we used gentle, active reflection exercises.
Out in nature, moving and feeling.
Not always restful, but often surprisingly calming.
Nature helps us slow down.
It invites us, sometimes symbolically, to leave things behind.
The natural rhythm helps us see more clearly
what we usually rush past.
And sometimes, silence arises.
Tension, stress, and coming home
For many of us, there is a lot of tension.
Stress.
Negative thoughts.
Those thoughts are often about ourselves.
Outside, in motion, something shifts.
The tension softens.
Breathing deepens.
Some exercises feel light and playful.
Others more confronting, because you are honestly looking at what is there.
And yet: there is space.
Room to feel.
Why no walk-and-talk is ever the same
The gratitude group walk has a clear structure and recurring themes.
But no walk is ever the same.
Because no one is the same.
Because each moment is different.
Because what you notice changes.
What matters is not the answer but the act of noticing.
From gratitude towards letting go.
From letting go towards recognizing your strength.
Nature often holds up a mirror.
Sometimes gentle, sometimes sharp but always honest.
Sometimes, strength lies in what we don’t do often enough
Because we are not used to it.
Because it feels exciting.
Or because we simply find it difficult.
One way to recognise your strength
is by giving yourself a compliment.
What did I do today that gave me energy?
Where did I feel proud of myself?
Did I respect my boundaries?
The most honest compliment
Recently, I said to someone
that a compliment to yourself
might be the most sincere one.
She laughed.
Then it became quiet.
A compliment to yourself comes from within.
Not bigger than it is.
Just honest.
And maybe that is exactly
why it matters.
My own gratitude diary
Not new, not special. Just mine.
I started one during my burn-out.
On the advice of a psychologist.
I’ve been writing in journals since the birth of my son.
At first, those pages were about him.
About noticing. About holding on to small moments.
But over time, something shifted.
My gratitude notebook became about me.
About gratitude, pride, and compliments.
What does it give me?
Positivity.
Perspective.
Noticing when my energy drops or when something feels lighter.
And also: listening to what is really going on inside me.
How about you?
And I’m curious about you. What does this bring up for you?
How do you give yourself compliments?
Do you write them down?
Or say them out loud?
Maybe in a gratitude notebook.
Or simply, in a quiet moment at the end of the day.
My invitation:
Do what suits you.
Writing.
Drawing.
Creativity.
Or something very simple.
As long as it helps you to notice what is.