I’m sitting in the most elegant, retro-Hollywood hotel lobby, typing out this blog with 2 fingers on my iPhone and wondering how I got here.  How did this past weekend come to be?  And, most importantly, what were the juiciest moments?

Since I’m typing on my phone, this post might be rather short, and perhaps rightly so because I learned a few, beautiful lessons all over again.  They don’t need many words.  Like the best things in life, these lessons are simple.

I’ll lay this one on ya: the best of the best are also often the nicest.

Take it in.  Cause it’s true.

If you’ve never had the honor of meeting someone who is a master at their craft, at the top of their game, a true genius at being themselves, then I wish that for you.

Cause what you’re going to find is a nice human being.  Somehow, people who are really good at what they do, and successful, are also the nicest.  They no longer have anything to prove, and they delight in the success of others because they fundamentally understand that when YOU get better, THEY get better.  They want excellence and prosperity because they know it can happen for everyone who desires it.  They have either given themselves permission to be nice because they understand how it serves everyone, or because that’s just how God made them.  Nice is a way of life.

I had the privilege of working for Tim Davis this past weekend as a vocal coach for his Studio Singer Intensive in LA.  You probably don’t know who he is, but you’ve most likely heard his work.  The amazing thing about Tim Davis is lots of things, honestly.  He’s a force of nature. What stands out to me is how friggin’ nice this dude is.  He suffers no foolishness, is a master at is craft, and is also silly beyond silly.  He is also nice.  Just plain nice.

Which reminds me, the most successful people I’ve met in life are also the nicest.

I’ve heard people say that being nice is often seen as a sign of weakness.  That cracks me up, really.  Cause my heart knows that kindness is brave and deep and breathtakingly strong.  Maybe those people who think being nice or kind is weak haven’t had the honor of meeting a Tim Davis yet.  I pray they do.  Soon.  May the hearts of ice and stone be melted and broken open by tenderness and smiles! Amen. Have mercy.  All that.

My next question: what if choosing to be “a nice guy” helps lead to success?  I’m not gonna lie, there is part of me that calls bull on this thought.  But, the reality is that when I’m nice I get ooey-gooey good feelings.  When people smile back at me, I like it.  And I automatically feel more successful.  So, it works.  In the moment, it works really well.

Since life is built on moments, then the nice guy approach might foster a string of successful moments.  Leading to a successful life.  Dunno.  You have to be your own experiment in this regard.  And so do I.

For now, I DARE you to be nice and see what happens.