As the saying goes, “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Unfortunately, not everyone lives by this adage.
Encouraging kindness
In an effort to stem the tide of testiness, Dina Creiger, a longtime sales professional from Boston, created Choose to Be Nice (choosetobenice.com) with a goal to encourage others to pledge to be better, nicer and more productive people.
“Choose To Be Nice is dedicated to encouraging and inspiring kindness whenever and wherever possible,” Dina explains. “We're improving the way people interact with one another by reminding them that they have a choice about how to be in the world.”
After a tragedy, driven by compassion
Shortly after the tragic events during the 2013 Boston Marathon, Dina quit her corporate sales job and dedicated her time and attention to her passionate pursuit. In the one year since she has chosen to help others to choose to be nice, she has attracted fans and promise-makers around the world – from Boston to Brisbane and Dina’s native Framingham, Massachusetts, to France.
“My goal is to get 1 million promises from around the world by 2020,” she says.
Make the promise
While many people may consider themselves to be nice, Dina has codified and trademarked the idea, encouraging people to officially commit by making the CTBN Promise at choosetobenice.com/make-the-promise.
By making it official, Dina reasons, promisers (and others) will be able to say they are part of something larger than themselves.
“I think people are inherently good,” Dina says, “but we live in such a fast-paced world now that people have lost patience with others and get easily frustrated and agitated. We are just overloaded, tired and overwhelmed [and] niceness has fallen by the wayside.”
It runs in the family
She credits her parents and grandparents for instilling such dedication and desire to be nice. “My parents taught me to always treat people with kindness, respect and compassion,” she explains, “and to never be intimidated by anyone.”
Dina continues to be encouraged by each and every person who makes the promise and commits to adding a bit more niceness to the world.
“It's just so easy and simple,” she suggests, “and it comes with a huge return!”
Interesting in doing something similar? Go to HappyActs.org to perform your own #HappyActs.
