Too often we are unnecessarily hard on ourselves. We want to be nice and try to be "a nice person," yet somehow in our own eyes we fall short. I have come across numerous people lately who have been too critical of themselves, which is why I was inspired to write this. While there are many ways to be nice, I find there are 3 main ways which when we succeed at doing this, can qualify us as "a nice person." We need not be perfect at being nice. Let's face it, everyone has an off day, which sometimes leads to us doing or saying something not so nice. In this human experience, we can expect nothing less than to NOT be perfect. Is that to say we shouldn't do our best? No. It just means when we do slip, we ask for forgiveness and try to do better next time.
Way #1 to be a nice person: Harm none intentionally. Does that mean if someone is physically assaulting you, you don't fight back? Absolutely not. It means you don't intentionally harm someone with your words or actions in the course of every day/"usual" circumstances. If your everyday circumstances have you in a situation where you must constantly be on guard either physically or emotionally, it's time to make a plan and follow through with that plan to change those circumstances.
Way #2 to be a nice person: Share your gifts, talents, and blessings with others. This doesn't mean you give away everything you have, including all your free time, but you share with others as led by spirit to do so. If you allow this sharing to be led by Spirit, you will find you are not overtaxing yourself or your budget and will be happier in general.
Way #3 to be a nice person: Share love as much as possible. Again, this does not mean letting people take advantage of you, nor does it mean you have to love every single living thing on the planet, but share love as much as possible. Sometimes small gestures such as smiling at a stranger or holding the door for someone can be a small act of kindness based on love that can make someone's day. If you can manage to find a small bit of love for that absolutely disgusting insect that comes across your path and not kill it, that's a step in the right direction. If you can resist the urge to curse at the person who just cut you off driving, that's another step in the right direction. Trying to accept people for where they currently are is a great way to share love. This is not always easy, especially when it comes to family members or those we are close to. We want so much goodness for them, sometimes we forget the best way for them to achieve it is through Divine timing, which we may not understand.
The next time you find yourself thinking "I'm not as nice of a person as everyone thinks I am", take a breath and check yourself. Are you doing any of the three things I listed on a regular basis? Congratulations! You're a nice person, despite what you may feel like after telling your sister to grow up already. Are you doing all 3 things on a consistent basis? Triple Congrats! Not only are you a nice person, but people of a higher vibration most likely will enjoy your company and want to hang out with you. Positive people in your life are always a good thing as they will keep you positive and remind you, even if not by exact words,that no one is perfect and you don't have to be perfect.