Be Nice Today

Serendipity is a wonderful thing. I was watching a 9/11 program last night and crying again about the firefighters and other EMS personnel who died trying to help others on that horrible day. This morning I came across the best website, Operation Nice, and learned that today is the Second Annual National Day of Encouragement.

From the article Second Annual National Day of Encouragement Calls for Americans to 'Pay It Forward': "The date of September 12 was selected in hopes of balancing the discouraging feelings of 9/11," said Andrew Baker, organizer of the National Day of Encouragement and executive director of the Encouragement Foundation, a group that raises the awareness about the benefits of encouraging others. "Our goal is to challenge people not to just think about the idea of encouragement, but to do something that will encourage someone else ... even if it's simply speaking a kind word."



The Operation Nice blog is an offshoot of the Pay It Forward concept, and features different altruistic ventures that people might like to get involved with, ranging from simply thinking about the things that make you happy to donating your time, unused items, or money to various good causes.

The About Us on the blog reads “Don't you love it when people go out of their way to be nice? Like when someone waits to hold the door for you. Or when a stranger waves you into a line a traffic. Or even when a coworker shoots you a friendly smile along with a "have a nice day." If everyone was a little bit nicer to the folks they encountered each day, perhaps the world would be a more pleasant place. Operation NICE was initiated to remind you that a little NICE goes a long way.” I love that!

So I encourage you today to give someone a compliment, to pay for the order of the person behind you at the fast food drive up window, or to just think about the things that make you happiest and walk around with a big smile on your face.