One of the few characteristics people will often point out about me is how kind, nice and generous my personality is. Personally speaking, being a nice person is something I try to live by daily and exude to others around me, whether they are my friends, neighbors, coworkers or even strangers on the street. Despite the old cliché that being nice is a sign of weakness, I personally think being nice transforms all other emotions and has helped placed me in the position I am today.

Compassion and consideration is something I highly care about and is a key train of being nice. I am often sympathetic of others around me, understanding that everyone comes from different backgrounds, creeds and situations, which shapes each individual differently. I am considerate of other’s needs, even when no one is looking. I have often been asked to assist others in studying for difficult exams, given advice to those who feel broken on the inside and provide sympathy and compassion for those in need. I do not do these things for recognition, but for the pure fact I am overwhelmed with joy when I see others around me succeed when from my kindness and helping them reach their goals makes me happy on the inside.

In my opinion, strong leadership starts with caring for and being nice to individuals around you. Anyone can be thrust into a leadership position, but real leaders understand their teammates and help them anyway possible. One of the facets to becoming a successful leader of coworkers and friends is by exemplifying kindness traits and always being nice even when you do not want to. Putting smiles on other people’s faces and helping them achieve their goals is something I think has helped transform me from a mediocre leader into a strong one.

Third, it just feels good to be a nice person. People that tend to have a pessimistic and miserable attitude towards other people and life tend to feel even worse on the inside. I try to be optimistic each day I wake up and exude kindness everywhere I go. Whether it is opening a door for someone, complimenting an individual for their success or providing comfort to a friend in need, the biggest perk of being a nice person is the general happiness feeling that fills me. Nice people feel better and live longer than others in my opinion.

Finally, one of the unspoken rules of being a nice person to others is the fact there tends to be a reciprocal effect. Whether you call this karma or not is up to you, but I believe when you are nice to others, it tends to come back to you eventually. Whenever I feel down, struggling with an issue or having a bad day, friends, coworkers, and people who I have been nice to in the past have reached out to me to see what’s up and if there is any way they can assist. I have learned that being nice does produce a reciprocal effect, and this effect often occurs when you least expect it.

My parting words of advice for those reading this article today: Be nice to whomever you meet today and make that something you live by the rest of your live. There are too many negative and mean people in the word; try to bring some positivity in a world filled with darkness.