I used to think that “niceness” was a soft attribute. I was heartily convinced that the way to be in life was like Christina Yang–calloused, driven, exceptional and seldom nice. Nice was a boring quality. Nice felt like Comic Sans and an exclamation point. Nice was a pastel butterfly on top of a crib. Nice meant weak. 

That’s not to say I was always mean. I liked to call myself “driven” instead. I was capable of being nice, but usually and especially in high school, nice was not inherent; nice served a purpose.

Nice=Getting elected Senior Class President.
Nice=Getting nominated for Homecoming Court
Nice=Getting teachers to bump my grade up from an A- to an A
Nice=Getting my parents to let me go out on the weekend

We had this dorky Momon Ad somewhere in my house that I remember vividly. I remember it because I disagreed with it. It had a picture of Christ on it and it read, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” And I’d read it and think, “Well, that’s all fine and good but Christ was the most important person in the world, so this doesn’t really apply. It’s way better to be important.”

I regret to admit that on my quest for “importance,” I haven’t always been nice.

But the older I get, and the more I know, and the more I see on a day-to-day basis, the more absolutely and perfectly convinced I am that it is MOST IMPORTANT to be nice.  

Looking back now, my reasons for being nice seem awfully trivial. I have a better understanding of it now.

Nice= Smile bringing, relief finding, and happiness sharing
Nice= Service giving, love-seeking, and life saving
Nice= Peace keeping, goal-striving, and friend making
Nice > Important-being

Friends, I teach high school and I can tell you firsthand: There are enough Christina Yangs in the world. We need a few more Ellen Degeneres’es and a few more Mother Teresas.

I have learned that Christ was the most important man because he was nice.

“I seriously doubt that there is anyone in [Heaven] who wasn’t kind.”- Marlin K. Jensen

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I mean, seriously. Watch this (WHOLE) video, and tell me if it’s not important to be nice. Because… I’m sorry but I’d personally like to ensure that those nice kids in this video get their candy back, a trip to Toys R’ Us, their college tuition paid, and a one-way ticket to Heaven.