Being nice is not easy. Nobody can do the right thing all the time. That is an unrealistic expectation we place on others we presume are always going to be nice and willing to help out. People often complain about how hard it is to be nice and how being nice never gets you anywhere. No, being nice alone will not get you everything you want out of life, but it will get you respect, which is the next best thing.

I recently read an article describing the struggles of being a nice person. It said people take advantage of nice people. They assume you have no backbone and are not able to stand up for yourself. Friends may not all be true, and sometimes people only grow close to you because they think they can use you. You do not have to be a certified “nice person” for these things to happen to you though. That is just how life works. At the end of the day some people rock, and some people suck.

We all know the whole “nice guys finish last” cliché too. Apparently girls never go for the nice guys. They only like to surround themselves with douchebags and guys who do not treat them right. That isn’t a fact of life though, it’s just immaturity. Nobody gets excited to tell their friends how much of a moron their new guy is. Nobody wants to bring a jerk home to meet Mom and Dad. So, nice guys, stop feeling sorry for yourselves; you have a lot going for you.

I am tired of hearing people complain about being too nice. Is it easy to be nice all of the time? No. Will being nice get you everywhere you want to be in life? No. Will being nice make everyone fall in love with you all the time? No. It will earn you respect though. Respect will get you far. People generally trust nice people. They will feel comfortable counting on you. Your kindness is not a burden; it is a blessing.

I am a firm believer that what goes around, comes back around. I am not talking about some huge karmic presence in the universe dishing out bad news to people who deserve it, but rather a simple truth in life. If you are nice to people, you will earn their respect. Good things come when people genuinely respect each other.