I am TOO NICE...I am told this frequently.
In fact, I have heard this phrase so often in my life that it sometimes doesn't even register.
I have at least TWO long time friends that tell me this on a regular basis...as if I might have forgotten.
Now, I am not disputing this claim by any means. Afterall, if that many people tell me that many times that I am TOO NICE....I guess it must be true.
What I don't get, is why is that bad exactly? How am I hurting anyone else by being TOO NICE?
The funniest part is that I am usually told this by friends and/or co-workers/bosses.
And isn't THAT funny...that my BOSSES have often told me I am too nice?
I get the feeling that they want to help me, even "protect" me in some way.
But ironically, if I stopped being they way I was, I most likely wouldn't BE friends with those partcular people ANYWAY. The TOO NICE-NESS is partly what made us such good friends to begin with.
Some of these people are SURROUNDED with individuals who are negative, who critize, who do nothing but try to bring other people down. These friends are BOMBARDED with MEAN every day of their lives...they NEED a little TOO NICE in their lives.
Thats what I do....it's part of why I am here, apparently. To bring a bit of TOO NICE into the lives of people who need it.
Now, when my friends say this (and they often just do it to tease me at this point), I know they are only stating the obvious...and sometimes just pointing out WHY they love me....that's a GOOD THING.
With the co-workers...not sure....seems they just want to see me go off and cuss the boss out and slam a few doors.
Makes for fun TV...not so fun in real life. And who REALLY enjoys working with someone like that anyway?
With the bosses...I'll NEVER figure THAT one out! Because what the BOSS is saying is they want me to be rude/mean/tough/obnoxious.....with someone ELSE....NOT THEM.....!
That's what is so-ooooo funny about it all! In each of those instances, when I have taken the bosses advice and stood up (polietly of course...I'm still ME afterall...) to THEM for some injustice.....they are appalled!!!!
"When did you becaome so...NEGATIVE"...one of my former bosses once said after I stood up to her shady practices.
Um......didn't I just do what you TOLD me to do not more than a month ago...?
See, that's the thing. ALL of these people who think I am TOO NICE really mean I need to treat other people differently......not THEM.
I know this also from a friend I have know since the Summer of 1980, when we were kids at Church Camp.
I was always TOO NICE...she was always TOO MEAN....funny that we've been friends for so long.
But whenever, over the decades, that I have stood up to HER when she was pushing me around or blowing me off or some other such thing....she was SHOCKED...and NOT happy.
See, people really LOVE it when you are TOO NICE to them.....just not other people.
So here I am...STILL...turning 39 in a couple months....and I am just as TOO NICE as I always was.....
And I think secretly, my friends wouldn't have it ANY other way.
