A few days ago, I was having a conversation with my dad, and I was telling him how much I have improved in something, but rather than him encouraging me and complimenting me for the little progress I had made, he would rather chose to focus on the fact that I still had a lot of progress to achieve.
And that made me feel some kind of way, which I immediately told him, and he just laughed about it. Which I knew that him laughing about it was him admitting in his own way that yeah, I might be right on this one and that he was wrong for focusing on the wrong thing.
You see, I do genuinely feel that most people haven't realized the power a proper compliment has.
I remember one time some years back, I used to know this lady who hardly ever wore any fragrances, and it was bad because she clearly needed it. And this was because every time she had a bit of sweat on her, I could perceive it, and I hated the smell.
But surprisingly, one day, when she came to sit right next to me, I could immediately tell that she had a cologne on, and when I noticed it, I had immediately complimented her on it and even moved closer to her to perceive it very well.
All of that made her laugh a lot, and I immediately could tell that me doing those things and saying those compliments meant a lot to her. I could see it on her face, in her smile and all that. But you see, what made me realize that those compliments meant a lot to her was when the next time I saw her, I also could tell she had worn a perfume, and she has been wearing different fragrances ever since.
And every time I see her, I always make it a habit to compliment her smell, because, as a matter of fact, she does smell nice.
But you see, I may not have realized it then, but that first single compliment may have been the reason she had decided to continue wearing cologne because everyone likes a good compliment, and most people would do almost whatever it takes to get them.