Work hard. Be nice.
There’s a mantra that I hold near and dear to my heart. It’s not profound. Yet it is elegant in its simplicity.
Work hard. Be nice.
This is one of those phrases that makes you say, “uh, well yeah…” when you hear it or read it. But just THINK about it for a second. Are you working hard? Are you being nice?
It’s my goal to work hard in every single thing I do. There are always areas that you can work hard in. Relationships, your job, business, personal finances, fitness, health/wellness, goal setting, volunteering, optimizing your life, selflessness, providing for loved ones. That list could go on for forever. My Dad always taught me that you shouldn’t start something unless you were going to finish it… and if you are going to finish it, you better do it right. I think “Work Hard” encapsulates that entire process. Working hard is coded in my DNA (thanks Dad!), but it’s good to have my little mantra to remind me of how I should be approaching each individual aspect of my life… with hard work.
The ladder half of the phrase is even more simple than work hard. “Be nice.” That’s it! That’s all you have to do! Just be nice! This seems to be hard for so many people to grasp, unfortunately. In 2017, there’s this strange social phenomenon that being a jerk/asshole/melancholy/downer of a person should somehow be celebrated because you “tell it like it is” and you aren’t hiding your feelings behind a facade of positivity.
Screw that. Nobody likes a jerk.
Be nice to people. It’s not difficult. Being nice is remarkably easy! You just treat others as you’d like to be treated! Crazy, right? Expressing kindness and care doesn’t have to be fake or phony either. A simple smile and a heartfelt “good to see you” is all you need (ESPECIALLY to those people who aren’t being nice to you… they need it most). Who knows… you might even make someone’s day all that better. And if you’re leaving someone in a better place, you’re doing a great job as a human.
My challenge for you for the rest of the week and through the weekend — think about these four little words daily: Work hard, be nice.
-Clark Hibbs
16 down, 15 to go. Halfway there.
#YouCanDoThis
