PR 365 - Nice Girls Finish First
Throughout my life I have come across mean girls - whether it was the girls in elementary school who teased me about my weight, the competitive girls in high school sports and theater, the girls you met your freshman year who were nice to you for about two weeks and then dropped you like a hot potato when you told them you didn't have fake ID. The list is endless.
No matter where we go in life, there will always be mean girls - but just as the mean girls attempt to claw their way to the top by backstabbing those around them, standing on the sidelines are the nice girls - the ones you always want to root for no matter what. The ones you want to hug the moment you see them and the ones who are praised whether they are in the room or not.
When it comes to blogging, it's high school all over again. There are the popular girls who believe they are pseudo celebrities. There are the brilliant writers and photo essayists who keep their noses to the grindstone and churn out unbelievable blog posts every day of the week. And then there are mean girls. Let me re-phrase this - there are mean women out there who are intent on ridiculing other moms who may not be as prolific but are finding their way online by discovering innovative ways to earn a living. There are mean girls who attend cocktail parties who clearly believe they are above the rest of the crowd that's there. There are cliquey mean girls who only hang out with their group while gossiping about everyone else around them. You get the picture.
But here's the deal. If you are a mean girl and have treated someone disrespectfully in the last month, then it's time for a personality makeover. You may not realize this, but if you're a mean mom, you probably have a mean kid too. If you delight in seeing other people stumble while you rise to the top, then how will your daughters behave when their only role model is a competitive cutthroat?
While you may not think you're doing anything wrong when you hurl an insult at an unsuspecting blogger or snub someone at a party or put someone down with a comment or twitter post, think again. If you truly want to be a part of a community that pays it forward then jump in and join the team. The only way to truly achieve success and satisfaction is by helping one another as we each pursue our individual goals. Nice girls understand that mantra and cheer each other on every step of the way. So who are you and who do you hope your kids will become? Mean or Nice...that is the question.
Posted in: Blog, PR 365 on 05/17/2010
I LOVE this post-- I truly do believe in Karma and everything you put out into the world will come back to love or bite you in the ass. So mean moms- get your act together because your kids are watching...
Beth - You are such a great example of someone who is always kind to people, generous and friendly. I have really enjoyed getting to know you and seeing the difference you are using your talents to make!
I do believe people should be kind and watch what they put out there - weighing their words wisely. Mean words will come back to haunt you.
Great post!
Thanks so much Melissa and Sarah - two of my favorite Nice Girls!!!! I agree about the poison pen approach - we all should think twice before putting something in writing that could be hurtful - you may get some evil satisfaction by being mean, but at the end of the day, you don't gain friends that way - just enemies.