An eleven year old recently asked me what I would do if I was invited to a birthday party for the "nerdiest kid in school." Of course I told him I would go. When he asked why he should go I told him it was nice and the right thing to do but had difficulty explaining why he needed to be nice in the first place.
The art of being nice is not an easy one, but like the work of any great artist, it is much more valuable because it is not easy. The first important element of being nice is that it must be genuine. I don't know about you, but in my mind people are like designer bags (And we know I love both!) Just like with designer bags, I can spot a fake a mile away! Genuine designer bags are worth so much more because they are real, not fake!
Being genuinely nice is all about being patient. A loss of patience will ultimately result in saying or doing something mean that will only end up hurting others. Niceness is also characterized by being kind. Kindness means treating everyone with the respect they deserve. My mother once gave me the best advice when she said, "Remember popularity isn't everything...but it is something. Just remember that popular people aren't just popular with one group of people, but they are genuinely nice to everyone...children, animals, elderly people, and people of all backgrounds."
My number one pet peeve is when people who are perceived to be nice are exclusive with their niceness! Every person deserves to be treated with basic human respect and kindness...not just those that can promote one's own self interest.
So next time my latte is accidentally made with regular milk instead of skim, I will not freak out to the barista (despite the visions that are occurring in my head of gaining 3 pounds on the spot). Or when I'm out shopping and the Nordstrom salesforce continues to ask how they help me I will not respond by saying, "I'm not an idot, I know you work off commission!" Finally, next time I have to get a pat down in the airport (which is guaranteed), I will refrain from making any comments about how I'm Texan, not a terrorist and it should only be a little hard to differentiate. The point of these (comedic but oh so true) examples are to illustrate that being nice is so hard but everyone deserves to be treated with patience, kindness, and respect.
I know, I know...maybe the next post should be about hypocrisy haha!
XOXO,
E
"A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person." – Dave Barry
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