10 Simple Rules to Be Nice By Robin Sharma

I was skiing this past week. Gorgeous snow. Lots of sun. Precious moments. Trying to refuel after the big tour… 
But one morning I witnessed something that broke my heart. A woman, who was clearly a beginner, was having trouble getting onto the chairlift. She was with her son and just couldn’t get the hang of it.

she looked embarrassed and a little beaten. There were a group of men behind me. Mature people, I thought. Seasoned skiers, for sure. And they started ridiculing her! Out loud. Calling her an amateur. Making fun of her attire. Saying things like “hey, take your time–we have nothing else to do” and “nice backpack you have on there.” It was incredible. 

To see such rudeness. Such insensitivity. Such uncompassion for this woman who needed help (and was being helped by the lift guards known as “lifties” to those of us who adore skiing). I just couldn’t believe how these humans operated. Bad manners. Zero decency. Pure mean. This scene has stayed with me for two days. It just has me thinking about the good and not so great in the world right now. And it fired me up to write the following 10 Simple Rules for Being Nice.

Please read them, study them and–above all else–practice them:

Rule #1: Think about others before you think about yourself. 
Rule #2: Say “please”. 
Rule #3: Say “thank you”. 
Rule #4: Smile. 
Rule #5: Say “sorry” when you need to say “sorry”. 
Rule #6: Turn off your phone when you eat with your family. 
Rule #7: Be on time. No, be early. 
Rule #8: Radiate optimism and make people feel good. 
Rule #9: Keep your promises. 
Rule #10: Be humble. 

Yes–I agree these are simple rules. But simplicity contains great power and beauty. 

Please practice these rules (I will too), discuss them with your team and share them with your family. Our world will definitely rise once you do.