Just Be Nice

I saw a bumper sticker today that had a message that could possibly solve all the problems of the world. It said, "Just Be Nice." Do you bristle when you read that? Does it make you self-righteous? Do want to start yelling it to people, commanding them to do so?

Isn't that amazing?

I love a good bumper sticker, but the message on this one was such a great offering besides the fun, because we could, really, really, really, change the world by being nice.

Being nice takes you out of the comfort zone of "you," and into the uncomfortable, but very real world of someone else. To be nice you have to look at someone and actually see them, you have to listen to someone and actually hear them, you have to think outside of what you like consider what might make someone else happy.

That's a tall order in today's world where the everyday bustle is overwhelming to the point of despair and isolation. We are connected by wires and wireless networks, and so seldom have time to sit and have a real conversation, connect, relate, share on a level of intimacy - it's just not today's world at all.

And yet, and yet - - what if? What if we all just practiced being nice? What if we practiced being nice to ourselves? What if we practiced being nice to our neighbors? What if we practiced being nice to our co-workers? What if we practiced being nice to the other drivers on the road? What if we practiced being nice to the grumpy grump at the gas station, the doctor's office, the DMV, the sales clerk???

Here's what if - the world would change. YOU would change, everyone would change, people would start seeing you, looking for you, being grateful for you, and it would start catching on so that people would starting catching the "being nice" bug rather than the flu bug, people would smile more, relax more, laugh more, be more grateful, be more compassionate, be more graceful, be more helpful. People would be nicer.

As I walk into this holiday season, where we are attacked by the consumer frenzy and the deep-lying desire to find grace, connection, intimacy and truth in our celebrations, I hope that alot of people see that bumper sticker or think about this blog.

It really only takes being nice once to start.

Blessings.
- Darshan

© 2009 Darshan F Jessop