Be KIND instead.

Have you ever referred to yourself as being "too nice" to your friends, family, acquaintances?!

I have.

Allowing others to take too much of your time because you are being "nice."

Telling small fibs because you don't want to hurt feelings and just want to be "nice," and "liked" by everyone.

Bending over backwards to keep the peace by being overly "nice" in all situations.

Yeah that was me.

Now I am kind instead.

But CJ aren't nice and kind basically the same thing?!?

NOPE!

The kind thing to do in all situations is to tell the truth. And sometimes, the truth f***ing hurts. Being nice however, that is a cop out.

Here is an example...one of your friend's comes to you and says "Wow, I am really annoyed with my job and I just can't take it anymore."

^^^this has probably happened to all of us at one point or another.^^^

The caveat to this story, is the fact that this is a friend who has said to this to you multiple times. They are the type of person who complains a bunch, yet they don't really do much about it.

So what do you do? Most times you probably shrug , and try to be "nice" because you don't want to hurt their feelings or cause conflict.

You protect your own ego, the one that wants to be "liked" and you focus on being nice, while trying to change the subject.

Yet what would be the right thing to do?

Call them on their BULLSHIT!

That is the KIND thing to do.

Why?

Because if you are truly this person's friend, your job is not to naively please them by being nice all the time. Rather, your role is to help them become the best version of themselves, even if that means telling them things that may not sit well with them right away.

At first, it'll sting for that person. Yet, if they are a true friend of yours, they will appreciate your candidness and be willing to take a step back to hear you out.

(If they don't appreciate this, maybe you need to find new friends then).

I speak on this topic because the world right now needs authenticity and kindness now more than ever. We need people who choose courage over comfort. Not the courage that you see in war movies, but the courage it takes to be a good human being in all the small moments of life that often go unnoticed.

Sit with this. Where in your life can you lean more into courage? What conversations must you have that might be hard at first, yet they will lead to a better world for you and others around you? Step into that courage. It is in you waiting to be unleashed. And if it makes a difference, I will take that step with you. You have an accountability partner in me.

From this day forward, lets step away from trying to please and be "nice," and instead, choose to be kind, choose courage over comfort, and step into the authentic person who gets the best out of themselves and everyone around them.

#thriveon

CJ