Just Be Nice – It’s Not That Hard. By Josh Jones.

Just be nice. It’s not that hard! It’s not about huge hero moves right away, you don’t have to start by being the nicest person in the world, just kick off each day with the goal of trying to be nicer.

Every day. In every interaction. With every person… a little bit nicer.

Be a person who takes the time to understand the lives of others. Be a person who looks out for those around them. Be a person who takes on a little bit of inconvenience to make someone else’s day a little bit easier. Let little things go. Smile more. Acknowledge strangers, acknowledge your friends. Recognize opportunities and talk about how fortunate you were to have them, then try to create those opportunities for others. Be nice to yourself. Respect your aptitudes by trying to be your best. Lead with integrity. Stand up for the most vulnerable people amongst us. Lean towards justice over convenience.

Make being nice an active process, don’t just wait for opportunities to be nice, create them.

I’m not going to say you should do the right thing because you’ll feel good, I encourage you to do the right thing because it’s ‘the right thing’. Sometimes it doesn’t feel good. Sometimes it costs you. Sometimes it is really hard, but the right thing is the right thing for a reason. Too often in business, the attitude of doing the right thing, or being nice is followed up with ‘because it makes you feel better’, if the only time we are nice is when it is convenient or feels good, then we will miss a lot of opportunities to actively and positively interact with the world. Sometimes being nice is inconvenient, sometimes you leave money on the table, or it holds you up for a few minutes when you are in a hurry. Do it anyway.

Now get stuck in, bit by bit. Consistency over intensity, quiet achievement over performative, showy gestures, being nice over passive non-attachment to the lives, worlds and experiences of others.