Everyone should practice acts of kindness. Am I the nicest person ever? No. But, I always try to take a breath before I act or speak, and try to approach situations with kindness. You never know who you’re going to encounter, or who could be watching, etc. One motto I always keep in the back of my mind no matter what: You never want to burn bridges.

However, this does not mean be nice to every single person you encounter throughout your life. I’ve gathered a few guidelines to master the art of being nice without being a pushover.

1. Be nice because you want to be. Bottom line. Okay, there are certain situations where you need to suck it up and throw on a smile, but, the larger picture should motivate you to want to be nice. If a boss or manager maybe doesn’t treat you the best, try to remember being nice will get you further at your job (or at least keep your job).
2. Be nice to people who are nice to you. It seems self explanatory, but don’t continuously help people or friends in your life who constantly treat you like shit. If someone wants you to help them, ask yourself one simple question: would they do that for you?
3. Don’t always say yes. If you’ve had a long day, you’re tired, you’re cranky, say no to helping someone with something. It’s okay to take time for yourself without feeling guilty.
4. Don’t be afraid of a little confrontation or awkwardness. I have been put in so many positions in my life where I agreed to do something I didn’t want to do and I was the one who was obviously the most upset about it. That is what I think of when I’m put in a tough position. Either agree to it now and feel bothered later, or deal with it right then and there and feel relieved in the long run.
5. Being a bitch and being assertive aren’t the same. You should always stand up for yourself, but you should also pick and choose your battles. This is something that takes time to learn and decipher. Focus on solutions to your problems and ways to get there.
6. Don’t apologize for every little thing. You can be nice and get what you want but you don’t have to agree to everything to be nice. You can be nice and also say no. Am I making sense? Am I rambling?

I hope this helps if you’re feeling taken advantage of or if you’re constantly feeling obligated to act a certain way. OR MAYBE YOU’RE LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE AND YOU’RE THE PERFECT MIX OF ATTITUDE AND KINDNESS AND YOU’RE THRIVING AND THIS JUST REASSURED YOU ❤ .

Either way, I support you and I hope you enjoyed. xx

B