Encouragement

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Be Nice


I find it hard to be nice. Oh, I have my select few friends that I am nice to, but after a while they even get on my nerves. So what I’ve discovered is that deep inside I ‘m really not that nice a person, I simply tolerate certain individuals better that others.

Nice, what does that mean? I open doors (sometimes), I smile and say hello (when I feel like it), I am nice most of the time to the check out lady (depending on how fast she is). But the reality is people give me so many opportunities not to be nice to them that I find it hard not to be rude. It can’t be all, my fault. Some responsibility must lay with them.

My mother used to send me out the door saying, “now play nice”. I would try but before the day was out Tommy would take my truck or Billy would push me down and I would in turn stop being nice!!! Tommy would go home crying, Billy would get a punch in the nose, and I would end up playing alone.

Not too long ago I realized that it came down to this. If I don’t want to play alone I need to be nice and a little more respectful of others even if they do not return the favor. So where do I start? Just what I need another project. I think it comes down to my motives. I no longer can be selfish. What I mean is, I can’t selectively be nice to those that I need something from. Now, I must decide to be nice simply because that is the way I choose to be. I’m no longer doing it to get something from any one else, I am simply doing it to give something back to others.

I’ve been trying to work on this new found insight over the past few months and I’m beginning to see results. I find that when I treat others with the respect I would like, I feel good inside. I smile and they smile back. I say thank you and they say,” you are welcome.” Not all the time, but most of the time. To my amazement there are a lot of other nice people out there to. The question is, “were they always out there or is it because I am nicer to them so in return, they are now nicer to me?”

Who Knows?

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