Be friendly, get rewarded

It cost $0 to be a nice person. Likewise it cost $0 to be an asshole, too. But here’s the thing, assholes don’t get rewarded. They might have some short-term gains but they is no long term benefit. People don’t want to be routinely nice to assholes.

When you are friendly, neighborly, or just generally welcoming and hospitable, people want to help you and or reciprocate it back.

We got a dousing of snow earlier this week, about 8″ worth. And it wasn’t the light powder you get at 0 degrees. It was the thick, heavy stuff you get at 32 degrees. It followed a nice crisp blanket of ice so it made it even more challenging.

I went out to start to shovel the driveway. Knowing this task was going to take a while, I went prepared bundled up. As I was shoveling my neighbors across the street had a snowblower. They took care of their driveway first and came over to help me with mine.

I don’t talk to these neighbors much only if I see them. We’ll share our driveway with them when they have parties as we have a big driveway and can fit multiple cars.

I never expected them to come over to help me, but it was welcomed. I could’ve used another set of hands or two.

If I had not been friendly or cordial with them, they might have came to help. They could have done their driveway and went inside where it was nice and warm. But they stayed to come and help me not only clear my driveway but also my mailbox so we could get mail.

The moral of the story is to be friendly, be nice, it doesn’t cost you anything and you’ll never know how you’ll get repaid.

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