#118: Three More Ways to Be Nice

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People underestimate the power found in being nice to others, but it need not be forgotten. Being nice to others can open the door to opportunity, but of course, that’s not the reason to be nice. Being nice to others is just the right thing to do, because paying it forward puts more positivity in the world. Yes, focusing on bettering yourself is important, and yes, putting in the work is typically the fastest way to see results, but those things are just the beginning. The only reason to better yourself is to turn around and then impact other people. Now that we have that out of the way, I want to talk about the three ways that people can be nicer on a daily basis:

The first way that people can be nicer is by being nicer in their businesses.

There are two ways that people can operate their businesses — with a takeaway or giveaway mentality. In my experience, I have found that businesses grow much faster when they are more generous with customers than when they are always stingy. In fact, in an interview I did a few years back, I attributed giving things away for free as a key factor of my success; I believe in it that much.

Business people, it’s okay to give some things away for free every once and awhile. Of course, I’m not saying to give everything away for free, nor am I saying that you shouldn’t make money — that’s not what I’m saying at all, actually. But what I am saying is that being nice in business is the best way to get more attention from a new audience, and it creates better relationships, no matter what business you’re in. When you begin thinking long-term rather than short-term, and you see every action as an investment rather than needing an immediate return on it, then you are well on your way to finding what it means to be generous in business. If you’re wondering if you should be more generous or more stingy with your next business decision, I would choose to error on the side of being generous.

The second way that people can be nicer is by being grateful for opportunity.

Having a good attitude is another way to be nice, and when gratefulness is present, it definitely shines through one’s attitude. We’ve all been around those who don’t have a good attitude, and what a difference it makes. Every day is an opportunity, and that’s enough to be grateful for. This means that gratefulness, happiness, and niceness can become a way of life when we realize what each minute of every day can bring. Choose to be grateful rather than ungrateful; it makes a world of difference. Being nice not only changes your world, but the world around you.

And the third way that people can be nicer is by choosing better words.

If you don’t have anything nice to say, find something nice to say and say it. It doesn’t take much looking to find people who are tearing down other people with their words, and what a sad reality that is. Whether we are looking at the blatantly mean bully, the passive-aggressive coworker, or the condescending boss, mean words hurt. When we think about the words we use, and take the response from others into consideration before we speak, we will create better relationships. The excuse of “I just don’t think before I speak” just can’t cut it anymore — we need to commit to use the brains that God gave us. It’s there for a reason. We are all better than cutting other people down. We can give life to others with our words.

We can give life to others with our words. Click To Tweet