Dude, Be Nice!

I was watching the evening news and a story came up about my old high school, Agoura High in Agoura Hills, CA. Several students have started a "Dude. Be Nice" Club! And their mission is to promote kindness. Their latest project was to video and YouTube teachers telling their students how much they mean to them! The clips are amazing and the club has already made an impact on the lives of students, faculty and parents.

What strikes me is that, although high school wasn’t abusive, some of the students could be and the idea of being extra nice to your peers just didn’t seem cool I guess. This new generation has shown us a thing or two. Imagine being a new kid in school and having a BFF before you go to your first class. The club promotes talking and texting and just being nice to someone who is eating their lunch alone or being a little shy at school events.

With the epidemic of bullying this action is just what we need in this day and age. I do hope this catches on and according to Social Media, it seems to be. Some young people are paid very well to promote their thoughts on YouTube, but these kids aren’t selling anything, they are sharing an inspiring idea that every lonely kid needs to hear. I hope that kids who are “influencers” in their own school see the beauty in this idea, pay it forward, and start their own club.

This attitude of kindness is something I have used in my work from the beginning, and this couldn’t be a better time to reinforce it. With all that is going on in the world, it’s pretty easy to get a little tweaked at everything from politics to your loved ones. This is because when things bother us internally, they sometimes come out inappropriately. Reminding ourselves to Be Nice can prevent these negative projections from causing more issues in your life.

I don’t recall a time when we needed niceness more than now. With a divided country and a rising divorce rate, some kids don’t really have the foundation they need to navigate the emotional ups and downs of young life. Being coached by a peer who has your back could be the best therapy available for these young adults. Just imagine what kind of grown-ups they will become, honestly it makes me think that the world could become a better place.

So “thank you” Agoura High School, for leading the way and being the vanguard of kindness for the millions of kids who need that little touch of niceness and for those who are strong enough and want to give it. You have taught them how to get started, some of the right things to do and you have touched many hearts. I never wanted to go back to High School until just now, so thanks for the inspiration.