When people give me compliments, I am often not sure how to accept them. This is why I usually laugh nervously and say, "Thank you," or politely downplay whatever was complimented.

For example, if someone tells me, "Your Japanese is great!" I might reply with something like, "I'm actually not so good at remembering honorifics."

However, there was one compliment in my life that I had no trouble accepting. I received it when I was a university student.

In American universities, we choose our major after the school year begins. I was planning to study English, but I took time to officially declare my major because I was trying to choose a study track (we could choose Literature, Creative Writing, or Education).

One day, I was waiting to cross a street near the university campus. A professor who I admired was waiting there, too. When this professor noticed me, she said hello and then asked, "Are you interested in becoming an English major?"

She explained that she had noticed some of the comments I had made during her class's discussions, and she thought that I would be a great fit for the English program. Immediately, I told her I was planning to major in English.

I eventually decided to join the Education track in the English major, and I went on to have classes with many great professors, including the one who had talked to me at the crosswalk. This was probably the path I would have chosen no matter what, but it was nice to know that a professor I admired had noticed me and wanted to check if I would study in her program. This compliment told me I had made the right decision in my university studies, so I was excited to accept it.