Has your ego ever been caressed?

Has your ego ever been caressed?

You might instinctively say no, but that could be because you never noticed or paid attention to it.

Consider this:

Have you ever changed your stance or given in after a deep, soul-searching conversation with someone?

If your answer is yes, then your ego has been caressed, whether you realized it or not.

Many of us move through life believing that we are at the center of our universe, often trampling on hearts and disregarding emotions.

Yet, a few among us have discovered a powerful secret:

The ability to get what we want by giving others what they need.

This isn't about manipulation but about the natural law of reciprocity, where kindness begets kindness, and influence is earned through connection rather than force.

We often think that generosity is expressed only through money, favors, or grand gestures.

While these play a role, there's an even more potent form of giving, one that requires nothing but your words.

Not just any words, but those that acknowledge, validate, and uplift.

Today, I want us to focus not on telling the hard truths but on expressing the necessary truths in a way that respects and nourishes the other person’s spirit.

This doesn’t mean lying; it means choosing words that highlight the obvious in a way that builds bridges rather than burns them.

Take my experience this morning at work, for instance.

A colleague did something for me, something simple yet deeply thoughtful.

Instead of just saying a routine "thank you," I chose to show appreciation in a way that touched his heart. I told him:

"Bro, you may not realize it, but your kindness reminds me of my father and the times I spent with him.

Since leaving my father’s house, I haven’t had anyone look after me in this way. Your actions made me recognize how much I’ve been carrying alone.

It’s like you stepped in, unknowingly filling a gap I didn’t even see before.

Because of you, I find myself appreciating my father in a new light."

That simple statement led to a long and enriching discussion on fatherhood, responsibility, and the unseen burdens we all carry.

By the end of our conversation, we were both laughing and sharing stories, bonding over our similarities despite our different backgrounds, him from Kogi, me from Delta.

Earlier in the week, this same colleague had extended more gestures of goodwill, acting like an older brother with advice and guidance.

He has children, just like I do, and I can tell he sees something in me that makes him want to step in. He didn’t have to, yet he did.

He saw a gap, understood it, and filled it, not because he was obligated but because he cared.

And this is the point: people like that, people who give without expecting, deserve more than just a casual "thanks."

They deserve words that reflect the abundance of their kindness.

They deserve to be recognized in ways that make them feel seen, valued, and appreciated.

A simple word of gratitude, when laced with sincerity and empathy, can be just as powerful as a grand gesture.

One day, I will have the chance to reciprocate in action, but until then, my words will serve as my currency of appreciation.

Because at the end of the day, the world owes us nothing, yet we owe the world our best.

To whom much is given, enough gratitude is expected.

Learn to use your words well.

You never know whose heart you might touch in ways they never expected.

Peace