The Power of Nice

Ok, I am taking a break from Pakistan. I am sure that will brings sighs of relief to some, who upon hearing the name "Pakistan" in the future, will make a run for the hills.

Let me bring you back to Canada and share a thought that crossed my mind yesterday.

I am sure at some point, during the week, month or for some, the year, we fall into a cycle. For me its a self-absorbed, bubbled environment when its only me, alone in this world, fighting against everything and everyone. So take Tuesday. I woke up with a migraine and knew I would have a crappy day. Yes, I decided from the get-go that it would be a bad day. And believe you me, it was. I screwed up at work, I angered a friend and even got yelled at by my mother in law for forgetting a task. I also walked around for an hour in public, with my fly wide open. Leave it to me to screw things over.

Personally, when I am in that cycle, I wallow in my own self-pity. Nothing goes right and I am not right. I mentally list my faults, the faults of people around me and even blame Mother Nature for the rain. And worse than that, I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Trust me, you will know when I am pissed off. Either I will bite your head off with a snide or sarcastic remark hidden behind the guise of a joke or I will smile that phony smile that really looks like I am constipated.

And when you are in this state, you don't think of others. Right then, its only affecting you --like when you drive your car and you are lost in your thoughts, not conscious of the traffic around you or how you reached your destination. PRNDL. Personal, Reclusive, Neglectful, Delusional, Loser. I did not just make that up. I was looking at my gear shift in the car and these words popped out at me out of nowhere. Squeeze me? Yes, words really do appear like that for me. Its my Harry Potter imagination that takes over.

How hard is it to stop the car, in the middle of the street and do a U -turn? In plain English, how hard is it to break that cycle? It definately differs from one individual to another but for me, its instantaneous.

So Tuesday, I had already made up my mind to be a bitch. But someone emailed me and said something that threw my premeditated state off. It took probably five minutes of their time to acknowledge me and show their appreciation. How hard is it to break someone's cycle? How hard is it, even if you are having a bad day, to be nice to someone else? I have never known someone to be nice and not feel good about it. The giver feels good and the receiver feels even better.

Its the 90/10 rule. 10% is your environment. 90% is how you react to it. Now if everyone could put as much energy they exert sustaining the cycle to breaking it, we become less 'me' and more 'we'.

The power of nice. Give someone a natural high.