Kindness becomes powerful when it is specific.

Vague kindness slides off. Telling someone they are great gives them nothing to hold, while naming the exact thing they did and why it mattered lands and stays. Specificity is what proves you were actually paying attention, and being seen accurately is much of what people want from being praised.

Next time you want to say something kind, add the detail. The particular sentence, the specific choice, the moment. It takes ten more seconds and turns a pleasantry into something the person might remember for a long time.